Todd Fisher: Leia will appear in Episode IX

Carrie Fisher may appear in Episode IX after all. Todd Fisher tells the New York Daily News that he and Carrie’s daughter Billie Lourd have given Lucasfilm permission to use “recent footage” of her for the trilogy’s finale:

“Both of us were like, ‘Yes, how do you take her out of it?’ And the answer is you don’t,” said Fisher, as he attended the opening night gala of the TCM Film Festival in Los Angeles, celebrating “In the Heat of the Night.”

“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.”

Fisher had finished filming for The Last Jedi prior to her death in December. Lucasfilm said they had “no plans to digitally recreate” Fisher as Leia in January. In March, Disney CEO Bob Iger said that her death hadn’t changed Leia’s role in Episode VIII.

Episode IX, to be directed by Jurassic World’s Colin Trevorrow, is due out in 2019.

Bob Iger: Han Solo film to span six years (and about that name thing…)

Disney CEO Bob Iger dropped a couple of things about the two Star Wars films in production – and those beyond. (The ever-vague “starting talks.”)

He was most detailed on the Han Solo film. It will span 6 years – Alden Ehrenreich’s Han from the ages of 18 to 24 – and deal with him meeting Chewbacca and “finding” the Millennium Falcon. WSJ reporter Ben Fritz tweeted about Han “finding his name,” which a lot of folks are jumping on. I’m a little more hesitant – it’s not designated as a direct quote, and the meaning could easily be making his name. So don’t place any flags in your theories yet!

For The Last Jedi, he said they won’t change the film due to Carrie Fisher’s death. “Her performance remains as it is in VIII. In Rogue One, we had some digital character. We are not doing that with Carrie.” He also promised that Mark Hamill will do “a lot of talking.”

Earlier, Iger announced he would remain as Disney’s CEO through at least July 2019.

No Oscars for Rogue One

Rogue One didn’t take home either of the two Oscars it was nominated for last night. Hacksaw Ridge took sound mixing, while The Jungle Book won VFX. (Having Felicity Jones and Riz Ahmed present it was a bit weird when a win wasn’t really expected, but hey, that’s Hollywood.) Alas. Unlike last year’s Ex Machina upset, this was far from a surprise – and the ceremony had even bigger shocks later on with a Best Picture mixup.

Kenny Baker and Carrie Fisher were both part of the In Memoriam segment. Mom Debbie Reynolds and Carrie closed it out, with the “May the Force be with you” clip from The Force Awakens.

Alum Natalie Portman – who didn’t attend due to her pregnancy – lost out Best Actress to La La Land’s Emma Stone.

Better luck next year, Star WarsJ.J. Abrams is already campaigning for Mark Hamill in The Last Jedi. Is his guilt is getting to him?

There’s a memorial benefit gala for Carrie Fisher being held during Celebration Orlando!

Going to Celebration in Orlando? Looking for a Thursday night event? Check out Drowning in Moonlight, a memorial benefit gala for Carrie Fisher and benefiting The Midnight Misson. It’s hosted by Tosche Station and the Star Wars Podcast Alliance.

Tickets start at $40 and are on sale now. The gala is being held at the Rosen Centre Hotel, which is right next door to the Orange County Convention Center.

Lucasfilm: “No plans to digitally recreate Carrie Fisher’s performance” as Leia

Lucasfilm has outright denied a recent report that said they’ve been negotiating wit Carrie Fisher’s estate to digitally recreate her for future films. The 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 honor everything she gave to Star Wars.

The rumor originated on the BBC earlier this week, and was first reported by SWNN, with an expansion by io9.

Carrie Fisher’s urn is a giant Prozac pill, because of course it is

Carrie Fisher’s ashes were laid to rest in a giant Prozac pill. (You can see the pictures at Buzzfeed.) Her brother Todd explains to Entertainment Tonight:

“Carrie’s favorite possession was a giant Prozac pill that she bought many years ago. A big pill,” Todd explained. “She loved it, and it was in her house, and Billie and I felt it was where she’d want to be.”

He also said the private service for family and friends on Thursday – attended by Meryl Streep, George Lucas and others – was “fitting” and ” beautiful.”

Yesterday also saw Fisher’s Star Wars son, Adam Driver, share his thoughts on the actress with Stephen Colbert. Here’s the clip:

Rumor: Leia’s role in IX was supposed to be bigger than in VIII, meetings at LFL next week

Per The Hollywood Reporter, meetings will begin next week to decide what to do with Episodes VIII and IX after the death of Carrie Fisher. VIII has finished shooting already, but Leia supposedly has “a bigger part” in IX.

It seems likely these meetings are the same ones that Kathleen Kennedy mentioned in November to map out the franchise’s future.

I believe this is also the first time that it’s been reported that IX director Colin Trevorrow is writing the film’s script with frequent collaborator Derek Connolly.

Obviously, there’s still a lot of mourning going on, and Lucasfilm has some tough decisions that they have to make, but I myself hesitate to speculate. Lucasfilm, mourning or not, has little choice in the matter: We do.

Club Jaders remember Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds

I’ve always found it difficult to write about things like loss. If there’s no sarcasm to be found I default to news-mode about 90% of the time, and that’s probably being fairly generous with the percentages. So I asked for Jaders to send in their own thoughts and memories about Carrie Fisher – and Debbie Reynolds, who holds her own special place in Club Jade history.

Continue reading “Club Jaders remember Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds”