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Star Wars fans everywhere experienced a heavy heart when news came last December that beloved actress Carrie Fisher had passed away. Fisher was expected to carry a substantial role in Episode IX. Lucasfilm president, Kathleen Kennedy, even told Vanity Fair as part of their Star Wars: The Last Jedi preview that “Harrison was front and center on VII, and Mark is front and center on VIII. [Carrie] thought IX would be her movie. And it would have been.” It was an unexpected loss that has sent the ripples of change in all directions for the Star Wars cinematic universe.
The release of Star Wars: The Last Jedi later this year will provide fans with a final farewell for both actress Carrie Fisher as well as her iconic character, Princess Leia. Fisher was able to complete all of her scenes for The Last Jedi before her passing, so expect writer and director Rian Johnson to provide fans with a beautiful tribute to Carrie in some capacity. However, writer and director of Episode IX, Colin Trevorrow will have a much more difficult time creating a Star Wars film now with the absence of Fisher.
Trevorrow sat down with CinemaBlend to talk about his newest film The Book of Henry, but naturally the topic of Star Wars eventually arose in the conversation. During the discussion, Trevorrow talked about tackling a Star Wars movie without Fisher and insisted that it will done with great reverence toward the actress and her character.
“She was a major character, that’s not a secret. She really was. And it was extremely sad for all of us, mostly just because she was so loved by the Star Wars family and everyone that worked with her. I feel like our options are limited mostly by ourselves, in that there is only certain things that we are willing to do. But I can guarantee it will be handled with love and respect, and all of the soul that Carrie Fisher deserves.”
The important elements to take away from Trevorrow’s statement about Fisher are his points about how “[their] options are limited” and there are “only certain things that [they’re] willing to do.” It is safe to say that Princess Leia will be incorporated into the film some capacity, but how it will be done is still a work in progress.
Over the past several years, moviegoers have seen CGI being used to regenerate the likeness of actors on screen. This is also evident in Star Wars, as CGI was used in Rogue One: A Star Wars story for both Peter Cushing (General Tarkin) and Fisher as Princess Leia. With that being said, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy and Disney CEO Bob Iger have already ruled out using CGI to bring back Fisher’s character in Episode IX. Regardless of how Leia will incorporated into the movie, you can rest assured that Fisher’s legacy will be handled in a respectful manner. That is something Star Wars fans everywhere can be thankful for.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits theaters on December 15, 2017. Star Wars Episode IX is slated to come to a galaxy near you on May 24, 2019.
Featured Image: Disney/ Lucasfilm
