The Star Wars team had a tough decision to make for the final movie in the three-trilogy cycle.
Carrie Fisher’s untimely death last Christmas left a huge void in the franchise. It also created a massive headache for the filmmakers.
There are three main options: recreate Carrie Fisher’s performance using CGI, kill off the character off-screen or recast the role.
Step forward the Oscar-winning actress who has already ‘played’ Carrie Fisher on the big screen.
WARNING SPOILERS FOR THE LAST JEDI
A young Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia was already digitally recreated for the stunning reveal at the end of Rogue One.
Lucasfilm has confirmed that it has “no plans to digitally recreate” the actress for Episode 9. Kathleeen Kennedy rebutted any claims that salvaged existing footage or CGI tricks could be used.
She said: “Sadly Carrie will not be be in Nine. We’ll see a lot of her in Eight, which is great.”
What about killing the character dramatically off-screen?
This is the simplest solution, but would certainly displease fans, who already unhappy with the treatment of Luke and Snoke in The Last Jedi.
The Last Jedi ends with Leia fleeing with the last remnants of the Resistance but promising “We have all we need here.”
Leia is the leader and figurehead for hope across the galaxy. Now that Luke is gone, she is needed more than ever. Her storyline also needs a satisfying and cathartic ending.
Mark Hamill and Kennedy both revealed that Leia’s role in Episode 9 was planned to be hugely important and central to the ending of the Skywalker saga. Killing her off-screen simply won’t be acceptable.
This leaves the tricky task of recasting the role. A new petition online has already raised thousands of signatures for Meryl Streep to replace her friend.
It says: “As the fans of STAR WARS and Carrie Fisher, we really want Leia to shine in Episode IX and we certainly do not want her to be written out of the film abruptly without a reasonable plot. Therefore, recasting Leia is a more ideal option for us and we believe that Meryl Streep is an ideal candidate to play Leia.”
The two stars became great friends when Streep ‘played’ Fisher in Postcard From The Edge.
The movie was written by Carrie Fisher and based on her semi-autobiographical novel about growing up with a famous mother, Debbie Reynolds. Streep’s character Suzanne Vale was based on Carrie Fisher herself.
Who beter to bring the story of Leia to a fitting end?
The petition adds: “We strongly believed that she is the best hope for us to see the legacy of Carrie Fisher in Episode IX. May the force be with Carrie Fisher, Meryl Streep and Princess Leia.”
Daily Express :: Entertainment Feed
