ST Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa) in Episode IX

Based on how beloved Carrie was, how iconic the role was, and also how she died (i.e. not of natural causes/old age), plus the fact that her daughter is in the ST acting along side her...yes 100% it is too soon to recast Leia. Maybe a decade from now if some spin-off or Disney streaming series really calls for an appearance by an elderly Leia, then perhaps it could be recast then. But not within the same trilogy. Better to have Carrie as Leia for 2-3 short scenes than another actor playing her in a larger role.

 

A full on confrontation probably will not happen, but I think they will figure out some way to have the 2 characters interact. I wouldn't mind a telepathic thing or a force skype call.

 

No matter what is done. This is a sure thing -

JJ would have evaluated all footage of Carrie Fisher. Based on his own memories of directing her. Plus records and footage of his own scenes and what Rian shot. Than he had the task of constructing new scenes from what is available.

Scenes of Leia interacting with other characters will be built on her dialogue. But their lines will be specifically written for these new scenes. It will much more seamless than most are expecting. Post production manipulation of scenes to have a completely different meaning than what was filmed happens all the time. By dubbing in new dialogue and rearranging the order of responses in conversations.

It’s a good thing we have not read, seen, or heard the original state of Carrie’s footage and dialogue that will be used in Episode 9. If we had we would be trying to spot the edges of the different pieces.

It’s like discovering a small number of pieces to a lost puzzle. Now they have to draw the rest of the picture to look like it all fits together.

 

The weird thing will be hearing her, and always thinking "Where would that have fit in Episode 7?"

 

Remember too how Obi-wan’s voice in Episode 7 was a combination of mostly newly recorded Ewan McGregor and one word of Alec Guinness. They took part of Alec saying “afraid” in A New Hope to say “Rey”. Leia ‘s dialogue could be carefully constructed from various recordings of Carrie’s voice to create sentences she never specifically spoke.

 

During scenes in a Rebel command center, bridge or crowd of some kind, we could get an instance or two of seeing the back or side of Leia's head from TFA and a line lifted from an outtake of TLJ, for instance, or that scenario reversed. That might be an easy way to have Leia "around" in a scene even if she's not the focus.

And while it would be a little unorthodox, some bits of dialog could possibly be lifted from any material Carrie recorded for EPKs for TFA and TLJ, for instance on set interviews for the Blu-rays, etc.

I think we will hear Leia over a comlink, and possible in a hologram as well. Hello, callback to A New Hope, and JJ loves his call backs...

So I think there could be some bits and pieces where we see that Leia is around and inspiring the Rebels but the reins have been passed to Poe, I think there will be a meaningful scene of Rey or Poe saying something about how inspirational and strong Leia has been to lead the Rebellion, and then there will surely be at least one scene crafted from available footage where Leia is the focus with a few lines of dialog, and it's impactful in some way. I know JJ will pull through with the magic.

 

Ok, sure. Voiceovers or whatever. Face to face? Hard to picture unless it originally happened in TFA or TLJ. It seems like they want to use CGI as little as possible.

 

You would have alternate/unused angles on all of Carrie's close-ups from TFA and TLJ, where she has conversations with Han (x3), Poe (x2), Rey (x2), Holdo and Luke. Any alternate lines, cut lines or just random things they tried in those scenes over the many takes could be fodder for inserting into new scenes with dialog molded around it and delivered new by whatever actor they want Leia talking to in IX.

There should be enough for a scene out of all of that, and according to JJ, there is. But I don't think it'll just be one scene. I think we will get a few more little bits of Leia, too.

 

How I would love Leia/Rey...

 

If They can have an actor appearing with a cgi character who is not really there, they can just as easily have Adam Driver act with old footage of Carrie Fisher. I think the promise of no CGI applies to digitally putting her face on another actress’s body. Adding her fully into a new background and interacting with new footage of other actors is highly likely.

Obviously I did not want them to be in this situation. I wish Carrie was still her to film her role. But I am fascinated to see how they handle this situation. Film is magic. It’s also a form of time travel.

 

They will never recast her.

 

wait what

 

I think they mean another scene taking place with them, like the hug in TFA or the conversation at the end of TLJ.

 

Yeah, I think they should absolutely manipulate all her previously filmed scenes and work their magic. Changing her location, outfit, hair, etc doesn't make a bit of difference to me - its still Carrie at the core. If they pulled a RO for this final installment, it would likely fall flat, sure they'd give us the story they were planning to tell, but it would feel hollow. Another actor with a digital face is just filler, its not going to invoke an emotional response from the audience. I thought Tarkin and Leia in RO were pretty well done - but at the same time, I would not want to see the same for General Leia.

 

This is why I kind of think that all of Leia's scenes for Episode IX could basically be contained in flashbacks.

 

Wouldn't flashbacks be writing the character off though? I think Disney, Carries family, and most fans want to see the character be a living and vital part of the final chapter in the Skywalker saga.

 

Yep. I think that's what Abrams kind of alluded to in the announcement.

 

What if Kylo has a force vision/flashback to when he, as a young Ben Solo, first arrived at Luke's Jedi School. Maybe Han and Leia are both there briefly glimpsed in the background, maybe even blurred, it's all from Ben's perspective, and Luke is there (Hamill gets the de-aging treatment), but what Kylo hears is Leia talking to him while he replays this in his mind, and while we see young Ben begin training with Luke, he's hearing Leia's dialog to him, words that are something unused from Carrie in TFA and TLJ...That could be a cool way for Mother and Son to Force connect in IX.

Carrie says "There is still light in him" in TFA. Surely there's a "you" she recorded at some point so JJ can change it to "There is still light in YOU," and Leia can be saying that directly to Ben.

 

I keep thinking that Leia's scenes are going to look like gifs on a loop or boomerang videos.

 

She did tell Rey "May the Force be with you."

I'm sure they can work something out with that.

 

Well, at any rate I'll tell ya this: I sure am interested to see how they manage to make scenes filmed for the intended storyline of TFA somehow fit into the present timeline of the final installment of the Skywalker saga. How they integrate Leia is now the one thing I'm most excited to see in Episode IX-more than Rey having a double-bladed lightsaber, more than Ghost Anakin! (well, maybe not more than that-but JUST as much!)

 

Glad they're not going to "fridge" the character. I hope they can keep her role as close to what was originally intended rather than just a small cameo as well as survive the events of the film. Would be great if she also gets one more big moment using the force (or even a lightsaber!)

 

She will.

 

It would've been awesome to see Leia clash swords with Ben in a reverse of TESB and ANH, I don't doubt it would've been on the table had Carrie still be with us.