Now that 2019 has begun, we can officially say: the final chapter of the Star Wars sequel trilogy is out this year. And when Episode IX arrives, it has not only the tricky task of concluding Rey, Kylo Ren and Finn’s stories, but wrapping things up for General Leia Organa. Carrie Fisher’s death in 2016 threw into question how the saga would resolve and pay tribute to her iconic character, who remains alive and a key figure in the Resistance come the end of The Last Jedi, in a satisfying way. The answer, from The Force Awakens and Episode IX director JJ Abrams and the filmmakers, is to incorporate previously-unused footage to give the character a presence in the next film.
If you thought that might mean a minimal amount of Leia, that’s not the case according to Carrie Fisher’s brother Todd. Speaking on Good Morning America, he confirmed that there’s a considerable amount originally shot for The Force Awakens that will end up looking more-or-less seamless in Episode IX. “There’s a lot of minutes of footage. I don’t mean just outtakes,” he said. “This is unused, new content that could be woven into the storyline. That’s what’s going to give everybody such a great kick. It’s going to look like it was meant to be. Like it was shot yesterday.”
Abrams began shooting Episode IX in August 2018, and the film is due to hit cinemas in December later this year. The filmmaker previously explained: “Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without [Carrie] 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.” The final instalment in the current trilogy will see Star Wars veterans Billy Dee Williams and Anthony Daniels return, as well as Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill. New to the cast are the likes of Naomi Ackie, Richard E. Grant, Dominic Monaghan, Matt Smith, and Keri Russell.
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