Lucasfilm Crushes CGI Leia Rumors

Earlier this week, a distasteful rumor that Lucasfilm was going to use CGI (like we just saw in Rogue One) to recreate the late Carrie Fisher for future appearances of Princess Leia in the Skywalker saga began to spread like wildfire when BBC Newsnight reported that Lucasfilm was reportedly negotiating with Fisher’s estate for the continued use of her likeness. But thankfully, Lucasfilm has responded to the rumor, crushing it with their official statement:

We don’t normally respond to fan or press speculation, but there is a rumor circulating that we would like to address. We want to assure our fans that Lucasfilm has no plans to digitally recreate Carrie Fisher’s performance as Princess or General Leia Organa.

Carrie Fisher was, is, and always will be a part of the Lucasfilm family. She was our princess, our general, and more importantly, our friend. We are still hurting from her loss. We cherish her memory and legacy as Princess Leia, and will always strive to honor everything she gave to Star Wars.

Myself, many Star Wars fans, and most importantly Carrie Fisher’s family are still mourning the untimely loss of Carrie. While I don’t think the use of a CGI Leia would be unethical, it would, however, be insensitive this close to Fisher’s death. As we saw just a few years ago, Universal Pictures had to recreate the likeness of Paul Walker using CGI and his brothers, both Caleb and Cody (along with the blessing of Walker’s family) to complete Paul’s scenes in Furious 7 when Paul tragically passed away in a car accident midway through the film’s production. That is now the case, however, with Fisher.

Carrie had already completed her scenes for Episode VIII before she passed away but that doesn’t mean the film won’t be affected. Insiders have told THR that at least two major scenes from the upcoming films (Episode VIII and Episode IX) will be affected including (spoiler warning) a reunion between Princess Leia and her brother, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), and a confrontation between Leia and her son, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), over the murder of his father, Leia’s husband, Han Solo (Harrison Ford). Lucasfilm has already begun to develop a plan to weigh out the options with Episode IX director Colin Trevorrow. Considering Episode VIII isn’t due out until the end of this year, Lucasfilm has plenty of time to come with a way to alter the storyline that not only serves the franchise best but also honors the memory of Carrie Fisher.

SOURCE: LUCASFILM

First Trailer For ‘Bright Lights’ Documentary Starring Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher Debuts

HBO has released a heartfelt trailer for the documentary Bright Lights which spotlights the close relationship between mother Debbie Reynolds and her daughter Carrie Fisher who both passed away last week. It came as a shock to both Carrie’s family and Star Wars fans around the world when Carrie suffered a major heart attack on a transatlantic flight from London to Los Angeles just two days before Christmas. Carrie held on but tragically slipped away just four days later. The following day her mother, Debbie, suffered a stroke due to the overwhelming stress of losing Carrie. Debbie told her son, Todd Fisher: “I miss her so much, I want to be with Carrie”, according to TMZ.

The documentary shows just how close the two who lived next door to each other were as it focuses on how the family handled their fame as well as Carrie’s struggle with her manic depressive disorder.

Bright Lights airs this Saturday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.

Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds is an intimate portrait of Hollywood royalty, in all its eccentricity. At 83 years old, grand dame Debbie Reynolds (star of “Singing in the Rain,”) still performs a Las Vegas act, dressed in gold lamé. But performing takes its toll, and Debbie’s health suffers. This devastates her daughter, “Star Wars” actress Carrie Fisher, whose response is both hilarious and heart-rending. Carrie is helpless in the face of her mother’s determination that “the show must go on.”

SOURCE: HBO

Billie Lourd Thanks Fans For Their Support

This past Holiday was incredibly tragic for Billie Lourd after she lost not only her mother Carrie Fisher, due to a major heart attack, but also her grandmother, Debbie Reynolds, just a day later from the overwhelming stress of losing Carrie. Billie has now taken to Instagram to thank fans for their support:

“❤👩‍👩‍👧❤ Receiving all of your prayers and kind words over the past week has given me strength during a time I thought strength could not exist. There are no words to express how much I will miss my Abadaba and my one and only Momby. Your love and support means the world to me.”

View this post on Instagram

❤👩‍👩‍👧❤ Receiving all of your prayers and kind words over the past week has given me strength during a time I thought strength could not exist. There are no words to express how much I will miss my Abadaba and my one and only Momby. Your love and support means the world to me.

A post shared by Billie Lourd (@praisethelourd) on Jan 2, 2017 at 10:09am PST

Carrie passed away Tuesday morning after suffering a major heart attack on a transatlantic flight from London to Los Angeles the previous Friday. Her mother Debbie, passed away the following afternoon after she reportedly suffered a stroke while discussing funeral plans for Carrie at her son Todd’s house in Beverly Hills.

My heart, thoughts, and prayers go out to Billie and her family at this unimaginably difficult time.

Oscar Isaac Shares an Episode VIII Set Photo of Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill

After the tragic and untimely death of Carrie Fisher due to a major heart attack this past Tuesday, many actors, celebrities, and fans took to social media to outpour their heartache and support for Carrie’s family. Oscar Isaac, who plays Poe Dameron, the greatest pilot in the resistance led by Fisher’s Leia Organa in The Force Awakens reprises his role next December alongside Fisher and Mark Hamill in the next episode of the Skywalker Saga, the untitled Star Wars: Episode VIII. While it is still unknown whether or not Fisher and Hamill will share a scene, Isaac has shared a photo of the two huddled in costume on the backlot of Pinewood Studios that gives hope the space twins Luke and Leia will be reunited on screen come next December.

Isaac captioned the photo with some loving words of which he remembers Fisher and the impression she made on him in the few years he was lucky enough to know her:

“She had no patience for pretense or small talk. She saw through things, at a different angle, with the gritty wisdom that comes from the hardest lessons. And, man, did she make me laugh. Will miss you dearly, Carrie.”

Carrie Fisher Passes Away

The world mourns today as Star Wars’ most iconic heroine — the glue that held the rebellion together — Carrie Fisher, has passed away today at age 60 after suffering a major heart attack while on a transatlantic flight from London to Los Angeles on Friday.

Fisher’s death was confirmed at 8:55 a.m. PST by her daughter Billie Lourd in a statement released to both EW and People Magazine.

“It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning. She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers.”

If I wasn’t so deeply saddened by the loss of Carrie I could go on and on about how much I love her but that isn’t what matters right now anyway. My heart, thoughts, and prayers go out to her family and friends.

RIP Carrie, to us you will always be royalty.