Carrie Fisher To Appear As Princess Leia In ‘Star Wars: Episode IX’ With Family’s Blessing
In an interview with New York Daily News, Todd Fisher has revealed that his late sister Carrie Fisher will appear in the final Star Wars movie, EpisodeIX, tentatively scheduled for release in 2019.
A Family Decision to Continue the Legacy
According to Todd, Disney executives want to use existing footage to bring Carrie Fisher back for Star Wars: Episode IX. Todd Fisher said that he and Billie Lourd, Carrie Fisher’s daughter, have granted the studio permission to use the footage. Studio executives have previously said that no CGI will be used to recreate Fisher or Princess Leia.
“Both of us were like, ‘Yes, how do you take her out of it?’ And the answer is you don’t. She’s as much a part of it as anything and I think her presence now is even more powerful than it was, like Obi Wan — when the saber cuts him down he becomes more powerful. I feel like that’s what’s happened with Carrie. I think the legacy should continue.”
Todd said that he had total faith in the filmmakers to do the right thing with the existing footage. He had no real idea about how much Leia will be part of the storyline in Episode IX, but he believes that people deserve to have her as part of Carrie Fisher’s legacy in Star Wars.
Details about the storyline for Episode IX are sparse, especially considering that Episode VIII has yet to be released.
Concerning Star Wars: Episode VIII, The Last Jedi, Disney is on record as saying that Carrie Fisher’s untimely death had no impact on the storyline. However, other sources said that General Leia was originally intended to play a much bigger part in the last chapter of the trilogy.
Star Wars Celebration is being held the week of April 13 – 16, 2017, where the first trailer for The Last Jedi is expected to premiere. Additionally, Mark Hamil has stated that he will be holding a tribute to Carrie Fisher there.
Carrie Fisher’s Legacy
Carrie Fisher was only 19-years-old when she was cast as Princess Leia Organa in Star Wars. Despite being the child of two well-known stars – MGM star Debbie Reynolds and singer Eddie Fisher- she was nervous about her first major role.
The film’s enormous success cast a looming shadow over the rest of her career, something she often spoke about. But Carrie Fisher was much more than Princess Leia. She was a highly successful author, a well-respected screenwriter, and a fierce advocate for mental health and substance abuse issues.
Carrie was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when she was 29 and became one of the most candid celebrities when it came to talking about her mental state. Her unabashed and open dialogue when it came to talking about how she felt served as inspiration to many people who connected with her words.
In her career, Fisher was featured in over 88 film and television projects. She was nominated for a BAFTA for her screenplay based on her best-selling memoir, Postcards from the Edge, and two Primetime Emmy Awards for Wishful Drinking, and a guest spot on 30 Rock.
Carrie Fisher’s untimely death on December 27, 2016, came four days after suffering a cardiac event on a transatlantic flight to Los Angeles from London.
In a tragic turn of events, her mother, Debbie Reynolds, passed away the next day from complications due to a stroke.
The pair were laid to rest in a private crypt at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills at a private ceremony. A portion of Carrie’s remains was also cremated and are held in a giant novelty Prozac pill that she kept in her home.
[Featured Image by George Brich/AP Images]
