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What becomes of Princess Leia now?

Published Dec 28th, 2016 7:15AM EST
Star Wars: Episode VIII Princes Leia
Image: Century Fox/REX/Shutterstock

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Carrie Fisher passed away on Tuesday morning, after suffering a massive heart attack on Friday. The actress became famous thanks to her performance as Princess Leia in the late 70’s. Fisher reprised the role for four more pictures, including the unreleased Episode VIII that’s set to launch next year. But what will happen to Princess Leia now that Fisher is gone?

Sources familiar with the current work on Episode VIII told Variety that Leia has finished her work for the movie. Episode VIII is currently in post-production, so Disney and Lucasfilm will not have to address the matter until 2018 when shooting starts for Episode IX, the final in the saga.

Fisher was supposed to play Leia Organa one more time for the ninth episode, although it’s not clear how big her role was.

“She was Princess Leia to the world, but a very special friend to all of us,” Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy said about Fisher’s passing. “She had an indomitable spirit, incredible wit, and a loving heart. Carrie also defined the female hero of our age over a generation ago. Her groundbreaking role as Princess Leia served as an inspiration of power and confidence for young girls everywhere.”

Fisher’s screen time in The Force Awakens was rather limited, and it’ll be interesting to see how many scenes will feature General Organa in the upcoming Star Wars movie.

Disney and Lucasfilm may also choose to reconstruct Leia digitally in 2018. That’s exactly what happened with Rogue One, where the producers brought back to life several characters using motion capture and special effects. One of them was the young Princess Leia — and no, that wasn’t Carrier Fisher playing her young self.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.