OFFICIAL NEWS Carrie Fisher will be in Episode IX.

The role of Leia Organa will once again be played by Carrie Fisher, using previously unreleased footage shot for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. “We desperately loved Carrie Fisher,” says 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.”

https://www.starwars.com/news/star-wars-episode-ix-cast-announced

 

May the Force Be With Them.

Gonna be interesting.

 

I imagine it can only be for a small scene as surely there can’t be that much unseen footage shot. Already I know it’s going to be so emotional!

 

Gwendoline Christie and Andy Serkis aren't coming back, it seems. So no backstory for Snoke and validation of my 100% surefire theories then.
...
I'm boycotting the movie.

 

Interesting and great news. But I wonder: How long did they shot with Carrie during TLJ?

PS. I meant TFA.

 

Will Naomi Ackie be cast as Lando’s daughter?!

 

I'm not terribly surprised about Serkis (if he's returning, it would probably be more on the DL anyway, like Oz as Yoda in TLJ).

But Christie is kind of a disappointment. Oh well, better start filming the remake of this movie too, right?


(obvious sarcasm)

 

No Keri Russell. Also, to Snoke and Phasma:

Some other observations - Kevin Jenkins (the guy responsible for many ship and vehicle designs in TLJ) got a promotionto production designer. Congrats to him.

 

Yeah, that Phasma novel I rushed to read in English was certainly an effort well spent.

 

Well so much for my speculation about how IX might begin. I'm actually intrigued by the information. What is the unseen footage? How much is there? How will it fit into the context of IX? What is Leia's story in this? How will they pull this off? It seems so difficult a task to weave footage from VII into IX in a way that would flow. But I have no idea what kind of footage it might be so there's that unknown. Very intriguing.

Also "final installment of the Skywalker sage" seems to put to rest any speculation of the story stretching out into another trilogy.

 

Back in the time of TFA I think I read that scenes of Rey and Leia where shots in the Resistense Base in D'Qar. Maybe they will use those.

 

Doesn't mean anything. They could hide these characters. Remember, Harrison Ford was also a cast member for TLJ, but he wasn't even in the movie.

 

I will most likely be a flashback scene, as Rey remembers some important lesson Leia taught her back in the base. Which is perfect and all we really need.

 

Okay, I'm thinking they're not talking about using footage of Leia interacting with people in the story. That aspect just seems really difficult to pull off, and somewhat problematic to me. I'm thinking the idea that is so necessary to having Leia in the movie is, Leia force ghost at the end of the movie. I'll bet that is what they're talking about. They know they needed Leia as a force ghost, probably along with Luke, and I actually would not rule out Han as well. They need the big three together in the end and that's the previously unseen footage of Carrie they're talking about. They want her force ghost to be footage of Carrie that isn't "recycled" or CG, so their option is taking her from a unused scene and incorporating that into the finale.

So, speculation about the intro to IX still applicable. That would actually make for a nice bookending to the film, as well.

 

Those were CGI additions. Though I don't know what the difference is between CGI Tarkin and a CGI Leia.

 

Not quite sure what you mean. Blue and Gold Leader were alternative takes repurposed for use in R1; that's not a CGI addition. All that was changed is what was outside the cockpit, just like in ANH.

 

I'm glad it's from TFA footage. She wasn't looking or sounding great in TLJ, so that wouldn't be the way I'd want her last time on screen to be remembered as.

 

They could easily not include them in the initial announcement as has probably happened in the past...if they are in the movie, they will maybe be announced right before the release of the movie or some sort of "leaks..." I just hope that the storyline is not forced to revolve around the pre-shot footage.