How 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' Made Carrie Fisher's Immortal
Carrie Fisher's passing last December sent ripples across popular culture. Not only did it lose one of its most popular icons but her role in Disney's nascent "Star Wars" trilogy, particularly for its final film, left many people doubtful about its future.
Much like "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" were to be Harrison Ford and Mark Hamill's film respectively, Star Wars: Episode 9 was to be "her movie," at least according to Lucasfilm chief Kathleen Kennedy. She was meant to play an integral part in the film, but with her untimely death, Disney's plans for the film was left in disarray.
Fortunately, after much confusion, Fisher's family gave their permission to use previously shot footage of the actress to appear in the ninth film. Disney also quelled rumours that she was to be digitally re-created as with the case with Grand Moff Tarkin in "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," a decision that has been highly controversial.
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So how did Lucasfilm and Disney handle Fisher's death on-screen? As it turns out director Rian Johnson found a way to deal with the situation in a remarkably moving and brilliant way.
WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD
It all begins with the assault on Leia's ship with Kylo Ren leading the charge only to hesitate at the last moment. Despite this, however, his troops finish the job blowing up the cruiser's bridge and everyone on it, including his mother, as well as everyone's favourite trap specialist, Admiral Ackbar, #RIP.
However, unlike Admiral Ackbar whose body was left to the void, Johnson trains his camera on Leia's body floating in space, something starts to happen. It's revealed that she survived, what's more, is that she's using the Force to return to the relative safety of the ship. Having cheated death itself, Johnson essentially made her, and by extension Carrie Fisher, immortal.
Of course, the people at Disney and Lucasfilm will still have to explain her absence in Episode 9 storywise. Perhaps she will be killed off-screen or given the "she died of old age" treatment like Luke, although that's very unlikely.
Nevertheless, the fact that she's alive on-screen at the end of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" essentially makes her the only main character left at the conclusion of the trilogy, and unless someone in the future decides to cover this plot hole, Princess Leia Organa lives on.
