7) Carrie Fisher Not In Episode IX
Since Carrie Fisher tragically passed away last December, Star Wars fans have been wondering what her death meant for the future of Princess Leia. We’ve known for a while that, thankfully, Fisher had completed work on The Last Jedi, but the character’s role in 2019’s Episode IX has been up in the air. SWCO, though, finally provided the answer.
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy revealed that the actress will not be in the the final instalment of the sequel trilogy. This is surprising, considering that earlier reports stated that Leia was originally intended to have a major role in the movie, but it does make sense considering the loss of Fisher.
We also learnt from director Rian Johnson that Fisher – an accomplished screenwriter in her own right – aided in writing Leia’s dialogue for The Last Jedi. “I connected with her first and foremost as a writer,” he explained. “I’d go to her house and sit on her bed for hours, and we’d go through the script.”
Speaking of classic characters not appearing in these new movies, it was also confirmed that Billy Dee Williams will not be showing up as Lando Calrissian in The Last Jedi. For shame.