Andy Serkis has revealed he did not film any scenes with Carrie Fisher for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, basically confirming Supreme Leader Snoke and General Leia Organa will not cross paths in the new film. Episode VIII will surely be an emotional experience for fans of the galaxy far, far away as they continue to mourn the passing of Fisher, who died late last year. Many are curious to see what her role in the movie is, especially given no changes were made to the story following Fisher's death. Lucasfilm has characteristically kept a tight lid on plot details throughout the marketing campaign. The biggest reveal about Leia so far is that she views Poe Dameron as a surrogate son while she leads the Resistance against the First Order.
Of course, Star Wars is no stranger to wild internet speculation, and there have been a few alleged Last Jedi plot "leaks" that have emerged over the past few months. Some of these suggested a meeting between Snoke and Leia was in the cards, which would have been interesting to see. Not only are they the respective heads of the two warring factions, the Supreme Leader was the one who seduced Leia's son, Ben Solo, to the dark side - a development that had life-altering consequences for her. However, if the two are ever to have any interaction, it will have to be another time. They share no screen time in Episode VIII.
While attending the world premiere of the film Goodbye, Christopher Robin, Serkis talked with The List (hat tip Star Wars News Net) and briefly touched on his time making Star Wars 8. Even though he didn't act against Fisher, the performance-capture extraordinaire was able to spend a little time with her, which he definitely appreciated:
“I had no scenes with Carrie but I did get to know her a little bit. She was an incredible human being with a wonderful personality and she’s sadly, sadly missed and everyone who came into contact with her was really touched by her great energy and great sense of humor. She is a wonderful person and I did have a great time working with the cast and Adam Driver and Domhnall Gleeson, we’ve had some really great times on it.”
Like most of The Last Jedi, Snoke's part in the narrative remains a mystery. Based on Serkis' quote, it sounds like the Supreme Leader will spend most of film talking with Kylo Ren and General Hux - similar to The Force Awakens. This makes a good deal of sense. After the destruction of Starkiller base, Snoke will need to strategize the First Order's next move with Hux, while at the same time completing Kylo's training. Given what transpired at the end of Episode VII, Snoke is probably none too pleased with his troubled apprentice. Crushing the Resistance is an objective of Snoke's, but he can leave that to Hux and focus most of his energies on Kylo. It definitely would have been interesting to see Snoke and Leia have a scene together (revealing more of their connected backstory), but arguably few will see this as a missed opportunity. Fans would much rather to see Leia confront Kylo or reunite with Luke Skywalker than trade barbs with the Supreme Leader.
Theoretically, Snoke and Leia could meet onscreen in Episode IX, but it currently is unknown if Leia will appear in the sequel trilogy finale. Originally, the plan was for the General to be a key component of Star Wars 9, but Fisher's death caused Lucasfilm to start from scratch. The project is now undergoing even more of a creative overhaul with new director J.J. Abrams and Oscar-winner Chris Terrio combining forces to write a fresh script, so anything (besides digitally recreating Fisher's likeness) is on the table for now. Time will tell.
