Following the recent passing of actress Carrie Fisher rumors have surfaced suggesting Lucasfilm may resort to CGI to digitally recreate her character, General Leia, in "Star Wars Episode IX." Lucasfilm has now issued an official statement denying these rumors.
"We don't normally respond to fan or press speculation, but there is a rumor circulating that we would like to address," the statement from the official "Star Wars" website reads. "We want to assure our fans that Lucasfilm has no plans to digitally recreate Carrie Fisher's performance as Princess or General Leia Organa."
Lucasfilm did digitally recreate a younger version of Leia in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" but Fisher was still alive at the time the effects were made. It is also important to note that this younger version was only featured for several moments and only during the final scene of the film.
The film also featured a recreated performance of Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin and this too sparked controversy. Unlike the younger Leia, Tarkin was featured in the film more prominently and many fans found this offensive and disrespectful to the actor's legacy.
Without a CGI recreation of the character in "Star Wars Episode IX" the film will need to address her absence in different ways. This may include killing the character off-screen or recast the role for someone else.
The character was meant to have a large role in the final films of the franchise, according to Cinema Blend. These scenes include a reunion with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Leia's son, the villainous Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).
Fisher did finish filming her scenes for "Star Wars Episode VIII" so she will still appear in the movie as intended. It is also possible that reshoots will be done to explain her absence in the final entry.
"Star Wars Episode VIII" will be released on Dec. 15 and "Star Wars Episode IX" will launch on May 23, 2019. Fisher's most recent portrayal as Leia can be seen in the trailer for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" here: