Ewan McGregor hates it, fans have derided it - but Star Wars (1977) producer Rick McCallum insist the name of the latest sci-fi film is essential to the plot.

McGregor, who plays Obi-Wan Kenobi in the three Star Wars prequels, famously blurted out "It's a terrible title" when informed that George Lucas' Episode II would be called Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002).

But McCallum has laughed off his outspoken star's comments. He says, "I'm sure Ewan wanted it to be called Obi-Wan's Big Adventure. I think the unfortunate part about that was that he was on a plane when it was actually announced, so we never had the chance to actually tell him. And you know, for a lot of people there's been a lot of controversy about Attack of the Clones, just as there was about Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999) and even more so about Star Wars Episode III (2005). But you have to bear in mind that this is ultimately the saga of a family which takes place during 12 hours in six different chapters, so if everybody takes a deep breath they'll understand why everything is like it is and how everything is interconnected once it's all completed."

Source: WENN