The sad reality of any celebrity passing is that we have to ask how their death will impact any ongoing work in the future. In the case of Carrie Fisher, that means the continuing Star Wars saga, Episodes VIII and IX.
Multiple sources are confirming that Fisher’s work on Star Wars: Episode VIII, scheduled for release in December 2017, was complete. However, how her death will affect the subsequent films is still up in the air. Rumour has it, she was scheduled to appear in 2019’s Episode IX, but that’s difficult to verify until the eighth film is released.
Fisher reprised the role that made her a global superstar for last year’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The film revealed that after Return of the Jedi, Leia continued to fight against the Empire, which was then replaced by a smaller, even more sinister group called the First Order. Now a General, Leia led a small Resistance against the First Order against the advice of the Senate. As the film ended, she lost Han Solo, the father of her son, but had renewed hope in the future as the young hero Rey went off to find her brother, Luke Skywalker.
In Episode VIII, directed by Rian Johnson, we’ll see how Leia’s journey continues. There’s no doubt she’s going to be an important part of the film – but how Fisher’s death will ultimately impact the saga remains a sad, inevitable mystery.
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6 responses to “Carrie Fisher Had Already Completed Her Work On Star Wars: Episode VIII”
I think there’s a very good chance everybody involved in the new trilogy had signed a contract allowing their CGI likeness to be used “just in case”.
They did, Disney was very specific in their contracts. Faces and bodies were all scanned 3 dimensionally (as are all the Marvel actors), just incase something like this happens. While some baulk at it, I actually admire Disney for this, and Lucasfilm, as they want to keep the character going, rather than recast and just deliver a facsimile of them.
I think it’s par for the course now for actors in any effects-heavy film to have 3D scans done, of at least their head and possibly their entire body. Not in case they die, but because it gives the director and effects teams so much more to work with for scenes where practical filming isn’t possible.
Yes indeed it is, a lot of major studios are doing it. It’s done also for archival purposes too, but we also have to realise we’re in a tech heavy day and age where this sort of stuff *will* be used? It looked fantastic in Civil War where they created a teenage Robert Downey Jr for example. If we can bring back certain actors and give them either brilliant sendoffs, or utilise their appearances with their estates permission for dignified results, I’m all for it.
However, you can bet, somewhere along the line we’ll end up with “Gangbang Grannies 2024: Betty White and the Golden Girls virtual sluts deluxe” or some such garbage.
Pardon me while I wash my eyes out with fire.
If she was expected to be in Episode 9 then I guess they’ll just rewrite it to replace her role with someone else, but I hope they at least include a little CGI cameo just to give her character a sendoff.
So many feels from that screen shot.