Carrie Fisher will appear in Star Wars Episode IX, her family has revealed.
Todd Fisher, her brother, says he and Carrie's daughter, Billie Lourd, have given Disney permission to use footage shot before her death last year in the final instalment of the saga's latest trilogy of movies.
Fisher's scenes as General Leia for Episode VIII were completed before she died in December, and Disney chief executive Bob Iger recently told fans they would not be recreating her digitally for Episode IX.
"Carrie appears throughout VIII. We are not changing VIII to deal with her passing. Her performance remains as it is in VIII."
Speaking to the New York Daily News, Todd Fisher said her presence in the Star Wars universe was "now even more powerful than it was", echoing character Obi-Wan Kenobi's famous line in Episode IV, "If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."
"I feel like that's what's happened with Carrie. I think the legacy should continue," said Todd. "I think the people deserve to have her. She's owned by them."
He told the paper he had faith the filmmakers would "do great things" with the character, even without resorting to digital trickery.
"To me, Star Wars is the holy grail of storytelling and lore and you can't mess with it."
Fisher's appearance as Princess Leia was created digitally for 2016's Rogue One, as the movie took place preceding the events of Episode IV, released in 1977.
She appeared as the older General Leia in 2015's Episode IV.
Newshub.
