Star Wars fans got a surprise today. Not only did Disney/Lucasfilm announce that the yet untitled Star Wars: Episode IX was beginning production, but that the late Carrie Fisher would be featured in the film as General Leia.
“The role of Leia Organa will once again be played by Carrie Fisher, using previously unreleased footage shot for Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” according to a press release. “We desperately loved Carrie Fisher,” added director J.J. Abrams. “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.”
Fisher starred in both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, which she completed scenes for before her death in late December 2016.
Her character Leia survived being sucked into space after an explosion by using The Force. Despite being gravely injured, Leia recovered and even reunited with her twin brother, Luke Skywalker, at the end of the film.
“The family is very supportive and thrilled,” Carrie’s brother Todd Fisher told FANDOM exclusively about the news. “She and Princess Leia are one.”
“The idea that it happened is largely due to J.J. Abrams really going carefully through everything they had with Carrie and really figuring out it could be done and engineered into the story,” he added. ‘Billie [Carrie’s daughter] and Bryan [Carrie’s ex-husband] are also supportive. We are fans of the story too.”
The press release also revealed Luke will return, despite disappearing at the end of The Last Jedi.
“Returning cast members include Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, and Billie Lourd. Joining the cast of Episode IX are Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant, who will be joined by veteran Star Wars actors Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Billy Dee Williams, who will reprise his role as Lando Calrissian.”
Billy Dee Williams, who was last portrayed Lando in Return of the Jedi, makes his big screen return to the Star Wars franchise after 35 years away.
Williams did voice the charismatic smuggler in the animated series Star Wars: Rebels. And of course, Donald Glover played a young Lando in the recent Solo: A Star Wars movie.
Star Wars: Episode IX, which the press release describes as “the final installment of the Skywalker Saga,” is scheduled for a December 2019 release.
