‘Star Wars’ Braintrust Meeting Next Week To Address Leia And ‘Episode IX’
Man. Thankless task amid genuine sorrow for the braintrust behind Star Wars. The collaborative is meeting next week to discuss the future of Leia, after the tragic passing of Carrie Fisher. Leia, a character who was going to have a large role in Episode IX.
As Carrie Fisher’s family, friends and fans continue to mourn her passing, the team behind “Star Wars Episode IX” faced with the decision on how the actor’s unexpected death on December 27, 2016 will impact the on-screen future of her “Star Wars” character.
Filming on “Episode VIII” wrapped in July 2016, with the movie reportedly featuring a larger role for Fisher’s iconic character, as well as that of her daughter Billie Lourd’s character.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the two remaining entries in the third “Star Wars” trilogy were both set to feature key scenes for Fisher’s character: “a Leia reunion with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and a confrontation with Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), her son who killed Harrison Ford’s Han Solo in 2015’s ‘The Force Awakens.’” However, where these scenes fit into the two movies, and crucially, whether or not they have already been filmed, remains unclear.
Production on “Episode IX” has not yet started, and Disney has refused to comment on the current state its script, written by the film’s director Colin Trevorrow and screenwriter Derek Connolly.
THR also revealed that Trevorrow is due to arrive in L.A. in the week of January 10 for “meetings with Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy to discuss options,” which include the possibility that Fisher’s character will be “written out and her scenes reshot” with different characters. Alternatively, the production could utilize CGI effects similar to those employed to bring Peter Cushing into “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” more than 25 years after the actor’s death in 1994. The standalone “Star Wars” film also featured a youthful CGI version of Fisher herself.
While these technical feats have largely been received favorably by fans, it remains to be seen whether they, and the estate of Carrie Fisher, would be supportive of a similar move to keep Leia in “Episode IX.”
Written and directed by Rian Johnson and starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver and more, “Star Wars: Episode VIII” hits theaters December 15, 2017. “Star Wars: Episode IX” is currently set to follow on May 24, 2019