Star Wars uses Fisher footage to finish trilogy’s storyline
LOS ANGELES Carrie Fisher is not done with Star Wars after all — Lucasfilm says unreleased footage of the actress will be used in the next instalment of the Star Wars saga to draw her character’s story to an end.
The studio and writer-director J.J. Abrams said footage of Fisher shot for 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be used in the ninth film in the space opera’s core trilogies about the Skywalker family that includes Fisher’s character, Leia. Filming is scheduled to begin Wednesday at London’s Pinewood Studios.
Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker, will also appear in the film, which for the moment is simply called Episode IX. It is scheduled for release in December 2019.
Fisher died in December 2016 after she finished work on the middle instalment in the trilogy, The Last Jedi. Director Rian Johnson opted not alter her storyline, leaving Leia’s fate to be handled by Abrams.
“We desperately loved Carrie Fisher,” Abrams said. “Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us.” He said recasting Fisher or recreating her using computer graphics, as was done in a spinoff film Rogue One, was not an option.
“With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honour Carrie’s legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII.”
The studio also confirmed that Billy Dee Williams will be returning to the franchise as Lando Calrissian.