Princess Lea will return to Star Wars
Carrie Fisher will feature in the next Star War film, it has been announced.
Director JJ Abrams also revealed the names of the rest of the cast on the official Star Wars site.
Fisher – who died suddenly in December 2016 – will feature as Princess Leia courtesy of footage shot for The Force Awakens.
The f ranch i se ha s previously faced criticism for recreat ing Peter Cushing’s Grand Moff Tarkin character using CGI.
Abrams sa id: “We desperately loved Carrie Fisher. Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us.
“We were never going to recast or use a CG character.
“With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honor Carrie’s legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII.”
Mark Hamill will also return as Luke Skywalker.
He will be joined by Anthony Daniels, who plays android interpreter C-3PO and is the only other actor to have appeared in all of the franchise’s major films.
Billy Dee Williams, 81, will reprise his role as Lando Calrissian, whi le Daisy R idley, John Boyega, Domhnal l Gleeson and Lupita Nyong’o also return.
Richard E Grant and British actress Naomi Ackie will join the cast.
Filming for Episode IX, which does not have a full title yet , wi l l begin in London on Wednesday.