It's been nearly a year since the Star Wars community tragically lost the legendary Carrie Fisher, and fans are still wondering how her passing will impact the galaxy far, far away moving forward. The actress will appear as General Leia Organa one final time in this December's The Last Jedi, which will definitely be an emotional moment for all. Writer/director Rian Johnson has promised fans Fisher's performance will be cathartic for viewers, as several of her scenes are said to be highly emotional. After Leia had just a small part in The Force Awakens, it's great to see she is a principal part of the proceedings this time around.Since the tragedy occurred, there have been multiple stories regarding Fisher and Leia's future in the Star Wars film series, and as fans make their final preparations to see the saga continue, we're rounding all of those up to provide moviegoers with an overview of the situation and what it means for the final two installments of the sequel trilogy. On this page, we'll cover the ramifications for Last Jedi.
Carrie Fisher Filmed All of Her Last Jedi Scenes
In the immediate aftermath of Fisher's death, this was one of the first questions on many minds. It didn't take long for the trades to report that Fisher had, indeed, shot all of her Episode VIII scenes prior to her death. Johnson started rolling the cameras back in February 2016 and moved efficiently through the schedule, wrapping principal photography in July of that year. It's unknown when any of the customary pickups took place, but it's comforting to know Fisher had completed The Last Jedi.
Related: Rian Johnson's Favorite Carrie Fisher Memory
Finalizing Leia's Dialogue
While Fisher filmed all of her necessary scenes, Johnson and his team had some difficulty in post-production. A typical part of the editing process is ADR (additional dialogue recording), where actors will re-record their lines in order to improve the quality of the final cut's sound. Sometimes, what was recorded on-set isn't good enough, so the talent has to be brought back in the controlled environment of a studio. Fisher did not complete her Last Jedi ADR prior to her death, so Johnson and the Lucasfilm sound department had to pull off some tricks in order to finalize Leia's dialogue. Johnson admitted in an interview with Rolling Stone it was tough, but credited his collaborators and ensured the end result works.
Leia's Role Did Not Change
Considering the studio's original plan for Episode IX (more on this in a minute), it wouldn't have been implausible if some alterations to The Last Jedi's story were made in order to address real-life events. However, that was not the case. Disney CEO Bob Iger confirmed as such earlier this year, and this point has been reiterated throughout the publicity tour. Fisher's last performance will be seen as it was intended, with no changes to the finished product. There's no denying this is probably for the best and is a great way of respecting Fisher's enduring legacy.
Leia's Last Jedi Role Is Larger Than The Force Awakens
Episode VII was very much Han Solo's movie, as the iconic smuggler was the returning original trilogy veteran with the most amount of screen time. Leia appeared in more scenes than her twin brother, Luke, but she was arguably pushed to the back burner a bit so J.J. Abrams could focus more on the new characters. With the introductions of Rey, Finn, Kylo Ren, and the rest out of the way, Johnson beefed up Leia's role in The Last Jedi so she had more to do. The movie's title is a direct reference to Luke, but as leader of the Resistance, Leia shouldn't be shortchanged this time around.
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Lucasfilm Won't Digitally Recreate Fisher's Likeness
Last year, Rogue One made waves for its controversial use of CGI effects, where living actor Guy Henry's face was replaced by a digital rendering of the late Peter Cushing for Grand Moff Tarkin. Many had wondered if Lucasfilm would use the same tactic to bring General Leia to Episode IX, but Kathleen Kennedy was quick to debunk the rumor. The studio came out with a statement definitively saying recreating Fisher digitally was off the table, which put many fans' minds at ease. Rogue One's Tarkin was extremely divisive, so one can only imagine the response if the same thing was done for Leia so soon after Fisher's passing.
Related: Carrie Fisher's Last Jedi Scenes Are Very Emotional
Episode 9 Was Supposed To Be Leia-Centric
Much like Force Awakens placed Han at the forefront and Last Jedi is Luke's film, Kennedy had originally hoped to make Leia a prominent part of Episode IX. Unless a recast happens (which has not officially been ruled out), that plan needs to be amended. A few weeks after Fisher died, then-director Colin Trevorrow met with the Lucasfilm president to discuss how to handle Leia moving forward, and apparently those discussions led to the creative team starting from scratch. Star Wars 9 is getting another redo now, since Trevorrrow has been replaced by J.J. Abrams, who is also co-writing a new screenplay alongside Chris Terrio.
Episode 9 Will Close Out Leia's Story
Considering Leia's Episode VIII role is unchanged and Star Wars 9 was meant to be her movie, it's reasonable to assume she was going to live to see the sequel trilogy's finale, where her story would have properly concluded. Abrams and Terrio are now in a rather tough spot, having to work around the actress' death to give the character the sendoff she deserves. Mark Hamill told fans at a New York Comic Con panel Episode IX will "find a way" to bring Leia's part in the saga to a fitting close. With the movie still in the script stage, there's no telling how that will happen, but everyone involved understands how important this is to the fan base, so they will work tirelessly to make sure it's poignant and endearing.
Conclusion
Of all the options available to Lucasfilm, the least controversial one could be to replicate what was done for Spock Prime in Star Trek Beyond, where Leonard Nimoy's death was implemented into the story and became a critical component of the younger Spock's arc. A storyline that sees the surviving members of the Resistance rally together in Leia's memory to defeat the First Order could be very touching, especially with Poe Dameron becoming more of a leadership figure.
The Last Jedi is noteworthy for being the first saga installment to not have a time jump from its predecessor. The sequel more or less picks up right from where Force Awakens left off. Daisy Ridley told us that with what happens in Episode VIII, the next movie can be about anything, and while she's generalizing to preserve spoilers, she's making it sound like Last Jedi doesn't have a cliffhanger that will need to be addressed. With Last Jedi telling its own story with a self-contained arc, a time jump could take place, and that perhaps will make things a little easier dealing with Fisher's absence - though, this is a void impossible to fill.
MORE: Billie Lourd Should Have a Main Role in Star Wars 9
Source: Rolling Stone
