Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy has confirmed the late Carrie Fisher will not be appearing in ‘Star Wars Episode IX’ after her brother Todd Fisher hinted she would.
The 59-year-old actor previously claimed the late actress – who passed away on December 27 – would still be making an appearance as Princess Leia in the movie using archive footage from previous ventures, but studio head Kathleen has now dubbed Todd as "confused" as she confirmed Carrie will not be featured in the final instalment of the popular franchise.
During an Interview with ABC News, Kathleen said: "Sadly, Carrie will not be in nine. But we will see a lot of Carrie in eight."
Previously, Disney had confirmed they would not be using CGI to create a likeness of the late star, but Todd had claimed that reusing old footage was a possibility.
He said: "Both of us were like, ‘Yes, how do you take her out of it?’ And the answer is you don’t. She’s as much a part of it as anything and I think her presence now is even more powerful than it was, like Obi Wan – when the saber cuts him down he becomes more powerful. I feel like that’s what’s happened with Carrie. I think the legacy should continue … To me, ‘Star Wars’ is the holy grail of storytelling and lore and you can’t mess with it."
Disney and Lucasfilm announced via a statement released in January that they had no plans to "digitally recreate" the character of Princess Leia for the movie.
They said in a statement: "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 honour everything she gave to Star Wars."
Carrie and her alter-ego will still appear in the upcoming ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’, because her scenes were already finished before the time of her death.
Kathleen Kennedy: Carrie Fisher will not be in Star Wars Episode IX
