Carrie Fisher’s announced appearance in J.J. Abrams’ “Star Wars: Episode IX” gets a thumbs up from the late actress’s brother, Todd Fisher, saying “my sister and Princess Leia are the same thing.”
“They have arranged it in the script and what was shot to bring her into the story in a way as if they filmed it yesterday,” Fisher told ET Canada. “It is not just me as a brother. I have a connection to this thing that is different but I am also a fan of the story line, but it is my sister. My sister and Princess Leia are the same thing. And the idea of that story stopping and her not carrying forward is very disturbing to me.
“I kept saying to people, ‘No, no, this needs to continue.’ I know I was even a little annoying to Disney. I kept saying from the brother’s perspective we would want to see Carrie continue, of course. And the fans, I think, we could even use the word demand this to carry on. It is awesome that it worked out this way and thanks to J.J. Abrams. This is going to be very magical and important to us all.”
Disney announced on Friday that it would use previously unreleased footage of Carrie Fisher in the next and last installment in the new trilogy.
Mark Hamill was also added to the cast along with Billy Dee Williams, Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant. Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo and Billie Lourd are also starring.
“We desperately loved Carrie Fisher,” said director J.J. Abrams in a statement. “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 [Lourd], 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.’”
There had been concerns from fans that “Star Wars: Episode IX” might use CGI to bring back Carrie Fisher’s General Leia Organa.
In January 2017, Lucasfilm issued a statement to quell those concerns. “We don’t normally respond to fan or press speculation, but there is a rumor circulating that we would like to address. We want to assure our fans that Lucasfilm has no plans to digitally recreate Carrie Fisher’s performance as Princess or General Leia Organa,” said a statement on starwars.com
Fisher died on December 27, 2016 at the age of 60 after suffering a massive heart attack.
“Star Wars: Episode IX,” which begins filming in London on August 1, is expected to hit theaters December 20, 2019.