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Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the upcoming eighth episode of the film franchise, won’t be altered due to the death of star Carrie Fisher. The actress completed production before she suddenly passed away in December, Disney CEO Bob Iger assured fans and moviegoers.
Iger told the crowd at University of Southern California’s SCALE conference last night that Fisher “appears throughout” The Last Jedi. She won’t be digitally recreated, as the Walt Disney Company announced back in January following widespread speculation; the film itself also will not need to be edited to make up for the loss of Fisher.
LIVE on #Periscope: Robert Iger & Willow Bay #USCScale https://t.co/hMKbSysmUV
— USC Marshall (@USCMarshall) March 23, 2017
Fisher played Princess (and General) Leia Organa, a crucial role in both the latest film and the Star Wars series as a whole. Although losing the actress won’t change Episode VIII, it’s unclear what part Leia will play in 2019’s untitled Episode IX.
The Last Jedi is in theaters Dec. 15, 2017 — coming in just under a year after Fisher’s death at the very end of December 2016.
