UPDATE- The Star Wars’ official website has released a statement saying that they will not be digitally recreating Carrie Fisher as Leia in future Star Wars films:
We don’t normally respond to fan or press speculation, but there is a rumor circulating that we would like to address. We want to assure our fans that Lucasfilm has no plans to digitally recreate Carrie Fisher’s performance as Princess or General Leia Organa.
Carrie Fisher was, is, and always will be a part of the Lucasfilm family. She was our princess, our general, and more importantly, our friend. We are still hurting from her loss. We cherish her memory and legacy as Princess Leia, and will always strive to honor everything she gave to Star Wars.
Original article: While Carrie Fisher passed away last month, Princess Leia’s character could continue on in the Star Wars franchise. The Walt Disney Company is negotiated with Fisher’s estate “over her continued appearance” in films, according to BBC Newsnight.
Through CGI, Star Wars already brought Peter Cushing back from the dead to reprise his role as Grand Moff Tarkin and a young Fisher as Princess Leia in Rogue One.
While filming for Episode XIII already concluded, it’s possible that the franchise may hope to use the same technology to bring Fisher back for Episode IX rather than remove the character from the storyline altogether.
Here is BBC Newsnight anchor Kirsty Wark’s report:
“Carrie Fisher died less than a fortnight ago, but in the minds of Disney movie moguls and Star Wars fans, she’s very much alive. And with what might be regarded as unseemly haste, Disney is negotiating with the actor’s estate over her continued appearance in the franchise. If Disney gets the go-ahead, Carrie Fisher will join Peter Cushing, who, last month, fifteen years after his death, played a key role in ‘Rogue One’ as Grand Moff Tarkin. With computers, anything is possible, but is it desirable? While some living actors are contracting over the use of their image when they die, others, like Robin Williams, who killed himself in 2014, explicitly banned the commercial use of his image until 2039.”
In Rogue One, some thought the CGI appearances of Tarkin and Leia fell into uncanny valley, but there were also stories of audience members who were unaware Cushing had passed away and simply thought he had aged really well. The technology will only get better as time goes on, and it’d be pretty neat to see Leia remain part of the story.
[BBC Newsnight; iO9]