{{Short description|Preliminary title of a creative work}} {{About|preliminary titles of creative works|the film production company|Working Title Films|the band|The Working Title}} {{Redirect-distinguish|Production title|Production logo}} {{use dmy dates|date=January 2025}} A '''working title''' is a preliminary name for a product or project. The usage is especially common in film and TV, gaming, music and publishing. It is often styled in trade publications as '''(wt)''' and is synonymous with '''production title''' and '''tentative title'''.
== Usage == Working titles are commonly used in film and TV, gaming, music, and publishing.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Research Guides: Organizing Academic Research Papers: Choosing a Title |url=https://library.sacredheart.edu/c.php?g=29803&p=185911 |access-date=2022-05-07 |website=library.sacredheart.edu |language=en}}</ref> They are used mainly because an official title has not yet been decided upon or to intentionally disguise the real nature of a project.{{cn|date=January 2025}}
It is often styled in trade publications as (wt).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Andreeva |first1=Nellie |title='Dune: The Sisterhood' Creator Diane Ademu-John Steps Down As Co-Showrunner Of HBO Max Series |url=https://deadline.com/2022/11/dune-the-sisterhood-diane-ademu-john-exits-co-showrunner-hbo-max-series-1235181229/ |website=Deadline|date=23 November 2022 }}</ref>
=== Usage as production titles === The terms "production title" and "tentative title" are sometimes used instead of "working title".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Travis |first1=Ben |title=Bond 25's Production Title Is Shatterhand |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/bond-25-production-title-shatterhand/ |website=Empire |access-date=4 March 2026 |date=22 February 2019}}</ref> Working titles are primarily a practical matter, just to prevent confusion as ideas for release titles can keep on changing for a variety of reasons. For example, while James Bond films are commonly produced under numerical titles such as ''Bond 22'' until the official title is announced as part of its marketing, release titles may also change because of significant changes to the plot during production, as happened with Disney's ''The Emperor's New Groove,'' whose working title was ''Kingdom of the Sun''.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Aguilar |first1=Carlos |title='The Emperor’s New Groove' at 25: Kronk’s Enduring Appeal |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/15/movies/the-emperors-new-groove-anniversary-kronk.html |access-date=4 March 2026 |work=The New York Times |date=15 December 2025}}</ref>
In some cases a working title may ultimately be used as the release title, as in the case of leading man Samuel L. Jackson insisting on the title ''Snakes on a Plane'', after he learned the title was going to be changed to ''Pacific Air Flight 121'' upon release.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Stevens |first1=Kirsten |title=Snakes on a Plane and the prefabricated cult film |journal=Colloquy |date=December 2010 |issue=18 |pages=119–131 |url=https://www.monash.edu/arts/languages-literatures-cultures-linguistics/research-and-engagement/colloquy/past-issues/432 |access-date=4 March 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Blevins |first1=Joe |title=Read This: It’s been 10 motherfucking years since Snakes On A Plane |url=https://www.avclub.com/read-this-it-s-been-10-motherfucking-years-since-snake-1798250854 |website=AV Club |access-date=4 March 2026 |date=18 August 2016}}</ref>
=== Usage as a ruse title === Fake production titles are frequently used by high-profile films or television series to prevent undesired attention by the press or fandom, price gouging by suppliers<ref>Bloom, Jim, Production Supervisor; Ch. 9, bonus material disc of the 2004 Star Wars Trilogy DVD box set.</ref> and casual or targeted theft. Notable examples of ruse titles include ''Blue Harvest'' (''Return of the Jedi''), ''Incident of 57th Street'' (''Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets''), ''Red Gun'' (''House of the Dragon''),<ref>{{cite web |last1=Albrecht |first1=Louis |title=HBO's Game of Thrones Prequel House of the Dragon is looking for two female leads |url=https://redanianintelligence.com/2020/07/18/hbos-game-of-thrones-prequel-house-of-the-dragons-is-looking-for-two-female-leads/ |website=Redanian Intelligence |access-date=11 March 2022 |date=2020-07-18}}</ref> and the Batman films ''Batman Begins'', ''The Dark Knight'' and ''The Dark Knight Rises'', which were produced under the titles ''The Intimidation Game'', ''Rory's First Kiss'' and ''Magnus Rex''.<ref>Nolan Fans article [http://www.nolanfans.com/2011/02/10/the-dark-knight-rises-as-magnus-rex/ "The Dark Knight Rises As Magnus Rex"]</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Working Title}} Category:Film production Category:Editing Category:Naming