‘Star Wars’ Fans Rejoice: Episode IX Script Completed, Will Include Princess Leia

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story provided a nice gap filler for the final third of the nine-part core series, but audiences are most excited to see Episodes VIII and IX. The direction that this planned third trilogy would take appeared to be dramatically altered when Carrie Fisher passed away, but reports are now indicating that Princess Leia’s part will be preserved. In addition to this good news, NME announced that the script for Star Wars: Episode IX has been completed — the first draft, anyway.

Episode IX: What We Know So Far

Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow has been trusted with the task of completing one of the most popular and influential movie series of all time. Trevorrow has indicated that the first draft for Star Wars: Episode IX has officially been completed. The film is set to be released in late 2019 and is virtually certain to showcase Rey’s rise as a true Jedi. The likelihood of this mirroring Luke Skywalker’s path in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi was increased by comments that Trevorrow recently made.

The director is planning to emulate the directorial approach of Star Wars creator George Lucas. Trevorrow weighed in on the manner. “I just want to embrace that kind of invention and creativity that he brought to it,” he said. Trevorrow went on to state that Star Wars is “the greatest story ever told.”

Anyone who was concerned that Trevorrow wasn’t fully aware or appreciative of the monumental task he’s undertaking can apparently rest easier now. However, we aren’t likely to get much in the way of plot details until after Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi is released on December 15, 2017.

Fans have been buzzing about the title, The Last Jedi, since it was announced on January 23. Jedi is a word that is spelled and pronounced the same way in the singular and plural form, so it’s impossible to know whether or not the title is referring to Luke Skywalker, Rey, the combination of the two, or perhaps even some other Jedi we haven’t met yet.

Princess Leia Will Be Included

The other big news that has Star Wars fans equally excited and nervous is that Carrie Fisher’s family has provided permission for the late actress to be featured in Star Wars: Episode IX.

Disney had previously stated that they wouldn’t use CGI to fill in for Fisher’s character out of respect for her work. The family’s compromise offer would enable Disney and Lucasfilm to bring her back to life via footage they’ve already shot but haven’t used.

This news is huge for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that Princess Leia was originally scheduled to have a big role to play in the last film of the final trilogy. IGN and the Hollywood Reporter obtained information about some of the keys scenes Leia was anticipated to be in.

WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS

The original concept behind the latest Star Wars trilogy involved Princess Leia having a chance to confront her son, Kylo Ren, during the last movie. Even more intriguing was the revelation that Leia and Luke would be reunited. This seems to indicate that Luke will survive Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi, but it’s important to note that Jedi never truly die and can come back as a ghost.

It remains to be seen if any of these original plans are in the final script. It wouldn’t be surprising if the family’s recent decision leads to an immediate rewrite of the script to put Princess Leia back into action. Meanwhile, we do know that casting is rumored to begin in July. We’ll all have to wait until 2019 to find out exactly what is in the Star Wars: Episode IX script, but at least we now know that everything is moving on schedule. Until then, we’ll be able to enjoy the penultimate Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi in December, followed by the standalone Han Solo anthology film on May 25, 2018.

[Featured Image by Jesse Grant/Stringer/Getty Images]