Leia Returns: 'Star Wars: Episode IX' Will Use 'Previously Unreleased Footage' of Carrie Fisher

Carrie Fisher will appear in “Star Wars: Episode IX” using “previously unreleased footage,” Disney announced Friday,

“We desperately loved Carrie Fisher,” said 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 [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.'”

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 Lourd are also starring.

Also Read: 'Star Wars' Actor Peter Mayhew Recovering From Spinal Surgery: 'It's Been a Success'

In January 2017, Lucasfilm issued a statement concerning the future of Fisher’s General Leia Organa in upcoming “Star Wars” installments, saying no CGI would be involved. “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.

In April 2017, Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy said that “Carrie will not be in nine” but that we would “see a lot of Carrie in eight.” Before then, Fisher’s brother Todd had told the New York Daily News that he and Lourd had given Disney permission to use footage of the actress for the ninth film. Fisher died on December 27, 2016 at the age of 60 after suffering a massive heart attack.

Also Read: Carrie Fisher: Mark Hamill, More Pay Tribute to Their 'Princess' 1 Year After Her Death

John Williams, who has scored every film in the franchise since 1977’s “A New Hope,” will return to compose music for “Episode IX.” It will be produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Abrams and Michelle Rejwan, and executive produced by Callum Greene and Jason McGatlin.

“Star Wars: Episode IX” will hit theaters December 2019.

Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher Through the Years (Photos)

The world is devastated by the loss of both Carrie Fisher and her mother, Debbie Reynolds, within one day of each other. The mother-daughter duo worked together both in front of and behind the camera on occasion, but it was their never-ending bond that solidified their sweetness. Charisma runs thick within this family, and so we've compiled some of the best shots of both Reynolds and Fisher for a look back on their story together.
CBS
Reynolds and Fisher celebrate springtime in 1959.
A teenage Carrie Fisher and Reynolds, 1973.
Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds at Town Hall in New York City, 1972
Reynolds and Fisher feature on the June 1973 "Ladies Home Journal" cover.
Ladies' Home Journal
As Fisher's career grew, Reynolds seemed to support every step. The actress said in an interview that: "People used to call her “Debbie Reynolds’ daughter,” now they call me “Princess Leia’s mother!”"
Reynolds and Fisher often attended galas, red carpets and other events together.
Reynolds and Fisher in 1997, in a promotional shot for "All Star Moms."
Cliff Lipson / CBS
Fisher and Reynolds attend the 2011 Emmy Awards.
AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File
Fisher paid tribute to her mother at the 2015 Screen Actor's Guild Award. Said Fisher of Reynolds: "She's been more than a mother to me, not much, but definitely more. She is a movie star, recording artist, television actor, nightclub entertainer, Broadway performer and co-founder of the Thalians, a group that has raised more than $30 million for mental health. Well, mental health-related causes, and $4.5 million of that money is allocated just for me."
Entertainment Weekly

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Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher were proof that wit and charm can be hereditary

The world is devastated by the loss of both Carrie Fisher and her mother, Debbie Reynolds, within one day of each other. The mother-daughter duo worked together both in front of and behind the camera on occasion, but it was their never-ending bond that solidified their sweetness. Charisma runs thick within this family, and so we've compiled some of the best shots of both Reynolds and Fisher for a look back on their story together.

View In Gallery

Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher Through the Years (Photos)

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