Carrie Fisher, who most famously played Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy (in the process becoming my first and greatest silver screen crush 45 years ago), was poignantly remembered on May the Fourth AKA Star Wars Day!
Her daughter Billie Lourd, Star Wars co-star Mark Hamill, C-3PO and R2-D2 assembled for Fisher's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony.
Hamill read out a note he'd written shortly after his friend's death in December 2016.
“I thought, this is as relevant today as it was when I wrote it,” Hamill said about the note.
“Carrie was one of a kind. She belonged to us all, whether we liked it or not,” Hamill’s note reads. “She was our princess, dammit! And the actress who played her blurred into one gorgeous, fearlessly independent, ferociously funny, take-charge woman who took our collective breath away. Determined and tough, but with a vulnerability that made you root for her and want her to succeed and be happy. She played such a crucial role in my professional and personal life. Both would’ve been far emptier without her.
“Was she a handful? Was she high maintenance? No doubt,” the note continues. “But everything would’ve been so much drabber and less interesting if she hadn’t been the friend that she was. I’ll never stop missing her, but I’m so thankful we had her as long as we did. I’m grateful for the laughter, the wisdom, the kindness, and even the bratty, self-indulgent crap my beloved space twin drove me crazy with through the years. So thank you, Carrie. I love you.”
With my best friend, I met Fisher and Hamill at Star Wars Celebration Europe 2016. A kiss from a princess, a hug from a Jedi Knight and tears of joy. It's not every day you meet childhood heroes who turn out to be amazing in person.
There are spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. ILM Visual Effects Supervisor Patrick Tubach revealed the creative process behind the late Carrie Fisher's (General Leia) inclusion in The Rise of Skywalker.
For the scene depicting Leia's Jedi training with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Billie Lourd stood in for her late mother.
"Billie was playing her mother," Tubach told Yahoo Entertainment."It was a poignant thing, and something that nobody took lightly – that she was willing to stand in for her mom.
"It felt great for us, too. If you're going to have someone play [Fisher's] part, it's great that it's [Billie] because there are a lot of similarities between them that we were able to draw from."
The filmmakers also used footage from Return of the Jedi for Fisher's younger face, and visual effects supervisor Roger Guyett added: "What you see is what we developed.
"The idea was to provide this great surprise where they take the helmets off, and you see Luke and Leia's younger faces. We scoured outtakes from the original movies, and we took some pieces and then had to try and figure out the technical aspect of putting that shot together."
However, he noted that it was up to Fisher's family – particularly Lourd, who also plays Kaydel Ko Connix in the sequel trilogy – as to whether her likeness will ever be used in a Star Wars movie again.
He added: "When you see her in this movie, it's the live-action element of her face taken from outtakes of either The Force Awakens or The Last Jedi, and then building a digital Carrie around that face.
"She's wearing a new costume, she's got new hair, she's got new jewellery. We didn't want it to feel like we'd simply taken previous shots from previous movies and just edited her in; we wanted her to be unique to this movie, and we wanted her to be integrated into the scenes.
"JJ's principle in pre-production was, 'I want Princess Leia to be played by Carrie Fisher. How do we do this?' That was the integrity that he wanted brought to it, so that he could really put his hand on his heart and say that Princess Leia was always played by Carrie Fisher."
Lourd writes in Time magazine about becoming the keeper of Princess Leia.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is in cinemas now.
Star Wars creator George Lucas joined Disney CEO Bob Iger and original trilogy cast members Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Harrison Ford (Han Solo) and Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian) for the grand opening of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.
“Isn’t this fantastic?” Iger said, emerging from a full-scale replica of the Millennium Falcon, Deadline reported. “I have been in this job for 14 years. There are some good days, but this is right up there with the best of them.”
Commenting on the new Star Wars attraction, Lucas said, “Now the technology is here, this thing is amazing. It’s something you couldn’t even dream about 20 years ago. It was a great experience. for me, and it will change your life.”
Hamill added, “Look at where we are today. We get our own land! You know, Star Wars to me has always been the gift that keeps on giving, and that reason is you. Parents tell you not to speak to strangers, but people treat me like family, tell me personal stories.”
Ford started up the Millennium Falcon and poignantly dedicated the moment to Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) who passed away earlier this month, "Peter, this one's for you."
With the loss of Carrie Fisher (General Leia) and Peter Mayhem, it was a misty-eyed moment to celebrate the positive impact Star Wars has had on generations of fans.
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opens to the public at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, today.
Harrison Ford recently appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and discussed the 35th anniversary of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Mark Hamill's impression of him on the set of Star Wars and, most poignantly, the passing of his friend Peter Mayhew.
Ford and Mayhew played best friends and Millennium Falcon co-pilots, Han Solo and Chewbacca, in the original Star Wars trilogy and The Force Awakens.
Awoke to the terribly sad news that Peter Mayhew has passed away aged 74.
Mayhew played the mighty Chewbacca, Millennium Falcon co-pilot and best friend of Han Solo (Harrison Ford), in the original Star Wars trilogy and became a beloved fan-favourite to generations of fans (myself included).
"He put his heart and soul into the role of Chewbacca and it showed in every frame," his family said.
Together, Ford and Mayhew co-piloted the Millennium Falcon and took on the Empire in some of the franchise's most memorable scenes. "We were partners in film and friends in life for over 30 years and I loved him," said Ford.
"He invested his soul in the character and brought great pleasure to the Star Wars audience."
Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker, said: "What was so remarkable about him was his spirit and his kindness and his gentleness was so close to what a Wookiee is.
"He just radiated happiness and warmth. He was always up for a laugh and we just hit it off immediately and stayed friends for over 40 years."
I'll always cherish the bittersweet childhood memory of discovering, on Christmas morning, that my grandparents' dog, Smurf, had chewed up action figure Chewie!
May the Force be with you, sir! Always. RIP.
What are your favourite memories of Chewbacca? Let me know in the comments below.
Most Star Wars fans (myself included) will have assumed Mark Hamill would reprise the role of Luke Skywalker in Episode IX.
Luke Skywalker may have died in The Last Jedi but he can follow in the hallowed footsteps of Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi by becoming a Force ghost to guide Rey (Daisy Ridley) or Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) to their ultimate fate.
Hamill took to Twitter to reaffirm that he'd be appearing in director JJ Abrams' sequel and wouldn't be answering any questions. Because spoilers.
Carrie Fisher, who sadly passed away in 2016, will also be seen as General Leia in the upcoming Star Wars movie. In Abrams I trust.
Director JJ Abrams took to Twitter to announce the start of filming for Star Wars: Episode IX.
"Bittersweet starting this next chapter without Carrie, but thanks to an extraordinary cast and crew, we are ready to go. Grateful for @rianjohnson and special thanks to George Lucas for creating this incredible world and beginning a story of which we are lucky to be a part. #IX"
John Boyega (Finn) can clearly be seen in what appears to be the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon alongside someone who may be Daisy Ridley (Rey).
Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) took to Twitter in the wake of casting news for Star Wars: Episode IX. Unused footage of the late Carrie Fisher (General Leia), taken from The Force Awakens, will be used in director JJ Abrams' final sequel.
"In loving memory of our princess Carrie Fisher.
"It's bittersweet facing my final chapter without her - she is simply irreplaceable.
"I'm finding solace in the fact that she won't BE replaced and would love the worldwide outpouring of affection from those who loved her when they heard the news.
"#CarrieOnForever."
Star Wars: Episode IX begins filming on Wednesday at Pinewood Studios and will include returning cast members Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega and Lupita Nyong'o among others.
This review contains spoilers for the latest instalment in the Star Wars saga. The Last Jedi is best enjoyed free of such spoilers and expectations. You've had fair warning.
Beware Porgs.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi opens with a bombastic flourish reprising the space battle from Return of the Jedi and culminates in a last stand echoing the claustrophobia of the battle of Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. It’s what happens between these tentpole battles that elevates director Rian Johnson’s subversive and seemingly divisive sequel to The Force Awakens above standard Hollywood fare, and not only lays the foundation for Episode IX but also the director's own trilogy.
Johnson, like Irvin Kershner before him, approaches the space opera from a deeply psychological perspective and not without wit. The horrors are mostly of the mind. It's a thoughtful examination of hubris. From Supreme Leader Snoke's (Andy Serkis) folly for underestimating his apprentice Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) to Luke Skywalker's (Mark Hamill) debunking of heroic legends and the Jedi order. The latter retrofitting the prequels with gravitas.
Luke Skywalker's heroic return is anything but. His father's lightsaber is tossed away and, as he resists training Rey (Daisy Ridley) in the ways of the Force, a chilling revelation regarding Ben Solo and how he became Kylo Ren is revealed.
Rey and Kylo Ren’s relationship is emotionally charged and there’s a palpable attraction. An attraction that borders on romance. Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley are the charismatic leads of the sequel trilogy and here they take centre stage as Johnson cleans house after JJ Abrams rebooted the franchise. Their lightsaber duet, not duel as many may have expected, in the wake of Supreme Leader Snoke’s demise after he's deceived by Kylo Ren, is a death-dealing ballet of choreographed beauty and brutality.
It was impossible to predict what would happen next as Kylo pleaded with Rey to join him on the dark side whilst Rey held onto the belief that the Master of the Knights of Ren could return to the light. Underscored by a sexual chemistry the prequels sorely lacked.
It’s not without flaws. The Canto Bight casino subplot was apparently a return to the prequels and as such dragged the drama to a crawl. In the midst of an assault on the Resistance fleet, Finn (John Boyega) and newcomer Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) go off for a day at the races and meet Force-sensitive children, which does have a payoff at the end.
General Leia’s (Carrie Fisher) use of the Force, whilst an honourable intention when viewed in the context of Fisher's tragic death last December and one fans have yearned to see since the original trilogy, resulted in Mary Poppins in space.
Captain Phasma, played by the imperious Gwendoline Christie, was given short shrift and an unsatisfying exit a la Boba Fett.
Minor gripes in an otherwise character-driven tour de force (I went there. Sorry not sorry). Johnson dared to take risks with a franchise that's all too easily homogenised and subverted established tropes.
The Last Jedi climaxes with the embattled Resistance, now significantly reduced in number due to Poe Dameron's (Oscar Isaac) hotheadedness, escaping aboard the Millennium Falcon with General Leia and Rey, who has taken the sacred Jedi texts in the hope of rekindling the order.
John Williams' soundtrack is the beating heart of any Star Wars movie. Here, the maestro excels himself with fresh takes on familiar, beloved, themes spanning an expansive body of work and hints at the future of a franchise for which he is intrinsically linked. Without Williams' timeless orchestral score for a New Hope in 1977, George Lucas' space opera would never have been as epic and my childhood adventures would have been all the lesser.
Illuminated by twin binary suns, Luke Skywalker’s death, following his Force projected confrontation with Kylo Ren, is a profoundly moving tribute from the director to the enduring 40-year legacy of Star Wars. The circle is complete and the saga continues...
Eagle-eyed Star Wars fans over at Fantha Tracks spied what appeared to be an homage to Gary, the late Carrie Fisher's dog, in a promotional photo featuring Finn (John Boyega) and Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran) from The Last Jedi in Empire magazine. Director Rian Johnson confirmed this on Twitter. You can read more on this exclusive at Fantha Tracks.
Gary is a beloved member of the extended Star Wars family. I'll never forget the hilarity that ensued during Star Wars Celebration Europe when Carrie and Warwick Davis, who played Wicket in the original trilogy, attempted to recreate the scene in which their characters first meet in Return of the Jedi. Gary wasn't having any of it and defended Carrie...
The Star Wars: The Last Jedi press tour is well underway ahead of the movie's release in December.
Daisy Ridley told ABC News' Good Morning America (GMA), owned by Disney, that she was surprised by The Last Jedi, which she saw a few weeks ago. The Star Wars actor also divulged her dad is a Star Trek fan and that she hates watching herself, which is not uncommon for actors.
“I think I’m more proficient with a lightsaber,” she said, teasing what fans have already seen in The Last Jedi trailers and TV Spots.
“I never really trained before the first one and the second one I was training for like [a] year. So I had more stamina and I felt really strong,” she explained.
Ridley said “it was wonderful” shooting with Mark Hamill, who plays Luke Skywalker.
“It was wonderful because obviously I was very lucky to be able to work with Harrison [Ford] and Carrie [Fisher] and when I worked with Mark the first time — we sort of had time, we went for dinner with his family and then we had time for rehearsals and we’re shooting with him a lot which was really amazing,” she said.
Ridley said she screened the film last week and while she doesn’t enjoy watching herself, she admitted: “I was more surprised with this one, because there’s like — there’s a few story lines that [are] sort of coming together and connecting.”
“Rey is trying to find out about herself and about the universe and those questions don’t entirely fall to the good nor do they fall entirely to the bad,” Ridley said. “She’s trying to do her own personal growth.”
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is in theatres 15th December.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is less than two months away from release and fans know very little about the upcoming Star Wars sequel directed by Rian Johnson. However, actor Adam Driver, who plays Kylo Ren, may or may not have let slip a spoiler regarding Rey's parentage during an interview with British GQ magazine.
Read on at your own peril, if you want to avoid any possible spoilers.
“I remember the initial conversations about having things ‘skinned’, peeling away layers to evolve into other people, and the person Kylo’s pretending to be on the outside is not who he is. He’s a vulnerable kid who doesn’t know where to put his energy, but when he puts his mask on, suddenly, he’s playing a role. JJ had that idea initially and I think Rian took it to the next level… You have, also, the hidden identity of this princess who’s hiding who she really is so she can survive and Kylo Ren and her hiding behind these artifices.”
Now, Driver's comment is ambiguous enough to pertain to either Rey or General Leia, Kylo's mother, played by the late Carrie Fisher. Personally, I can't imagine the actor was careless enough to let slip a spoiler of this magnitude so close to release without Lucasfilm vetting the interview. Afterall, he didn't disclose that his character Kylo Ren would kill his father, Han Solo (Harrison Ford), in The Force Awakens.
"When I watched the premiere, I felt sick to my stomach," the actor said. "Immediately, I thought I was going to puke. I was holding my wife's hand, and she's like, 'You're really cold. Are you OK?' Because I just knew what was coming — I kill Harrison Ford — and I didn't know how this audience of 2,000 people was going to respond to it, you know?"
Whatever the case, fans will find out this December.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.
A long time ago... 40 years to be exact. Star Wars was released in America.
Now, I wouldn't see George Lucas' space opera until early 1978. But, that's for context as Star Wars hadn't opened in the UK when I was admitted into children's hospital, following a serious head injury in primary school, in October 1977.
I remember the American neurosurgeon - who saved my life alongside a talented, international, team - saying I had to promise him I'd see Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and gave me a poster of R2-D2 and C-3PO as a parting gift!
The promise was kept.
A few months after being discharged from hospital, I moved house with my folks, an uncle gifted me a copy of John Williams' Star Wars soundtrack LP and an aunt gifted me an R2-D2 action figure for Christmas. Each lunchtime at home (the primary school I was moved to wouldn't accept liability outside of classroom hours) I'd eat a bacon sandwich (or similar snack), play the soundtrack, and let my imagination soar as R2-D2 embarked on another secret mission.
Then in early 1978, aged 5, mum took me to see Star Wars at Odeon Exeter. Dad had to carry me up a flight of stairs (I was wheelchair-bound at the time). Once we'd been shown to our seats, by helpful staff, a mother and young daughter appeared. Mum was a warm lady and was asked if she would keep an eye on the daughter during the movie? As always, she was more than happy to oblige and I had a new friend with which to share this inaugural cinematic experience.
Suffice it to say, the next few hours were mesmerising. From dancers, dressed as characters from Star Wars dancing to the disco arrangement, to the destruction of the Death Star underscored by John Williams' ode to Erich Korngold and Gustav Holst's The Planets to medals bestowed on our heroes. By the film's finale, I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Either become a Jedi or filmmaker - both, but that's between us. I said goodbye to my Star Wars buddy and then noticed she'd left her combe behind. Dutifully, I told mum, but the girl had gone...
In the wake of seeing Star Wars, I'd graduated into becoming a film geek for life. Marvel's "making of" magazine, with a cover featuring poster art by the Hildebrandt brothers, fell to bits (it was read daily). Cinema trips became a school holiday treat.
Collecting Star Wars action figures and accessories meant Star Wars was every day, friendships forged (many of which last to this day) and playground adventures shared. Amassed quite a collection from Star Wars to Return of the Jedi. My favourite toys included 12" Boba Fett, AT-AT, Imperial Troop Transport, Darth Vader's Star Destroyer action playset and an Imperial Shuttle.
As much as I wanted to play the hero, the Empire always looked cooler to me. Because Stormtroopers, Darth Vader and Boba Fett. Fun fact: I thought Stormtroopers were robots until The Empire Strikes Back!
From the age of 5 until 17, I was an outpatient undergoing rehabilitation for head trauma. Whilst there would be times I'd feel alienated (who doesn't?), Star Wars remained a constant force (pun intended) for inspiration. If a farm boy could become a Jedi, then I could learn to walk again and help others.
In 1997, whilst working as an online journalist, I was interviewed for a BBC documentary commemorating the 20th anniversary of Star Wars. Lucasfilm, now owned by Disney, decided to drop the fan segment. But, I'll always be determined to make a contribution to the franchise's legacy in some small way. Further to this, I worked on The Gemini Apes starring Sir Christopher Lee. Lee would go on to play Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequels.
Last summer was momentous. With a close friend, I met Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) and Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) at Star Wars Celebration Europe. Five-year-old me would never have believed it. Profoundly poignant in view of Fisher's death last December.
Next month marks the tenth anniversary of mum's death due to medical trauma. Star Wars was given an honourable mention during her funeral service. So, today I'll watch the original trilogy in mum's memory.
Through the good times and bad, Star Wars is, without doubt, the defining film in my life. Thank you, George Lucas!
Fresh from publishing four variant covers to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Star Wars this week. Vanity Fair goes behind-the-scenes of Star Wars: The Last Jedi with exclusive photos, taken by Annie Leibovitz, and a video.
Fans get their first glimpse of Laura Dern and Benicio Del Toro, playing Vice Admiral Holdo and DJ respectively, in The Last Jedi.
Dern strikes an imperious pose, in stark contrast to her character's link to the Resistance, that evokes the opulent prequels. She recently attended a scoring session for The Last Jedi reuniting the Jurassic Park actress with composer John Williams.
Del Toro is channelling a Replicant from Ridley Scott's Blade Runner.
Director Rian Johnson gives an insight into his approach to the Star Wars sequel, saying, “I started by writing the names of each of the characters, and thinking, ‘What’s the hardest thing they could be faced with?'”
On the subject of Rey’s training parallelling Luke's on Dagobah, Johnson teases, “There’s a training element to it, but it’s not exactly what you would expect.”
It's heartbreaking when Kathleen Kennedy suggests Carrie Fisher may have had a bigger role in Episode IX, which closes the Star Wars sequel trilogy. “The minute she finished, she grabbed me and said, ‘I’d better be at the forefront of IX!’” Kennedy remembers. “Because Harrison was front and center on VII, and Mark is front and center on VIII. She thought IX would be her movie. And it would have been.”
Be sure to visit Vanity Fair for the full story here.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is released in cinemas on 15th December.
Annie Leibovitz has photographed Star Wars actors since capturing the cast of The Phantom Menace in 1999. Subsequently the famed photographer's lavish photo shoots have become a tradition.
Now, Vanity Fair has released four variant covers to commemorate the 40th anniversary of George Lucas' space opera.
The first is Rey and Luke, the second is Captain Phasma, Kylo Ren, and General Hux, the third is Poe Dameron, Finn, and Rose Tico, and the fourth is General Leia. Most notably Carrie Fisher has a cover all of her own. This is in tribute to the late actress and her final appearance in the upcoming The Last Jedi.
The grouping of characters suggests the story structure of The Empire Strikes Back.
Leibovitz’s full photo shoot will be online Wednesday, along with a story on the making of Rian Johnson's upcoming sequel to The Force Awakens.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi arrives in cinemas 15th December.
Star Wars fan films have thrived since the original trilogy. Now, Star Wars: The Force and the Fury continues the tradition and is dedicated to the memory of the late Carrie Fisher.
Fellow fans are going to love this.
"A Jedi crash lands on a barren planet and is pursued by a mysterious Sith who seems to know him."
Fan films can be an excellent opportunity for aspiring filmmakers to showcase their talents. Kudos to Star Wars: The Force and the Fury writer and director Jason Satterlund.
If you have a Star Wars fan film you'd like to share, please contact me.
During The Last Jedi panel at Star Wars Celebration, director Rian Johnson revealed the late Carrie Fisher assisted with the screenplay for the first sequel to The Force Awakens.
"It was such a moving tribute... I don't know if I can add to that. I love her so much, I just adore her. I connected with her first and foremost as a writer. She's a brilliant writer, with an incredible mind. I'd go to her house and we'd sit on her bed for hours, going through the script. (We) would just have these kind of stream-of-consciousness, Jazz poetry, ad-lib sessions, and I would just scribble down everything she said on my script. And then at the end of six hours, there would be this four word line of dialogue that would be the distillation of all that, that was brilliant."
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, speaking exclusively to ABC News, clarified Carrie Fisher would not be appearing in Star Wars: Episode IX following her brother Todd's remarks to the New York Daily News.
“He was probably confused because we finished everything in VIII… we were able to complete shooting in the summer… Unfortunately, Carrie passed away, so by the time we were well underway with Episode IX in our thoughts, we had not written the script yet. But we’ve regrouped, we started over again in January. So, sadly, Carrie will not be in IX.”
This is sad news for fans. However, director Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi appears to be a fitting swan song for the beloved actress and writer. The first teaser trailer dropped during Star Wars Celebration and suggests a more mythological tale with tragedy at its core.
Cast and crew pay tribute to the late Carrie Fisher at Star Wars Celebration during an emotional 40 Years of Star Wars panel featuring franchise creator George Lucas.
The late Carrie Fisher may appear in Star Wars: Episode IX after her family gave their permission to use existing footage from The Force Awakens and first sequel The Last Jedi. Carrie's brother, Todd, recently spoke to The New York Daily Times:
“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.”
General Leia's role in Episode IX, directed by Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World), is unclear and Disney has said the script is not being rewritten. The final installment in the Star Wars sequel trilogy is expected to begin lensing this July for release in December 2019.
Fisher will be remembered during an emotional 40th anniversary panel at Star Wars Celebration this Thursday. It is expected a teaser trailer for The Last Jedi will be shown and a standalone Obi-Wan Kenobi movie, with Ewan McGregor reprising the titular role, will be announced during the 4-day event in Orlando.
