It’s official.. the cast has been announced. While this is not the first time someone deceased from the real world was included in STAR WARS, it certainly is the most notable to date..
CARRIE FISHER will return.
Word is, previously unreleased footage of Fisher as LEIA ORGANA will be included in the next film..
“We desperately loved Carrie Fisher,” says director J.J. Abrams. “Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us. We were never going to recast, or use a CG character. With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honor Carrie’s legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII.”
Also returning: Mark Hammill reprising his role as Luke Skywalker and Billy Dee Williams!
From the press release:
Returning cast members include Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, and Billie Lourd. Joining the cast of Episode IX are Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant, who will be joined by veteran Star Wars actors Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Billy Dee Williams, who will reprise his role as Lando Calrissian.
