How 'Star Wars' is going to deal with Carrie Fisher's death in the new trilogy's last movie
Carrie Fisher's brother, Todd, told The New York Daily News that he and Carrie's daughter, Billie Lourd, have granted Disney the right to use footage of the actress for "Star Wars: Episode IX," the film in the saga following the upcoming "Last Jedi." "Episode IX" is the last in the new Disney-era "Star Wars" trilogy.
"Both of us were like, 'Yes, how do you take her out of it?' And the answer is you don't," Todd Fisher said.
Carrie Fisher died on December 27 last year following a heart attack, but by then she had completed shooting all her scenes for "Last Jedi" (opening in theaters December 15). Questions have since swirled about whether her likeness will be used digitally in future "Star Wars" movies to keep the Leia storyline going.
A younger version of Leia was featured in "Rogue One," along with a CGI version of Grand Moff Tarkin. (The actor who played Tarkin in "Star Wars: A New Hope," Peter Cushing, died in 1994.)
But Disney head Bob Iger has confirmed that the franchise will not create a CGI Leia going forward.
Todd Fisher did not say if the Leia character will definitely be featured in "Episode IX," though it seems very likely since Disney got the approval. The movie is currently in preproduction with a release planned for 2019.