Disney negotiating to use a digital Carrie Fisher

Article by The Skinny | 13 Jan 2017

Disney are reportedly negotiating with Carrie Fisher's estate to bring back her famous character in upcoming Star Wars films

Carrie Fisher has been gone for barely a fortnight, but Disney have reportedly already approached the late actor's estate about using her image in further Star Wars installments. The problem Disney have is that while Fisher died – aged 60, on 27 December – her most famous character, Princess Leia, is still very much active in the Star Wars universe.

Fisher reprised her role as Leia, now a general, in JJ Abrams' Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens, and Fisher had already finished filming her scenes for its follow-up, Rian Johnson’s Star Wars VIII, which is due for release in December. This request from Disney suggests they intend a digital version of Leia to appear in the already-planned Episode IX, directed by Colin Trevorrow, using similar methods to the ones used to create a digital performance of Peter Cushing’s image in Star Wars prequel Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

There was, of course, a brief digital rendering of a young Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in that film too, although presumably created with Fisher’s own consent.

Reports of Disney’s negotiations appeared on Newsnight on Wednesday night's episode (31 minutes in). "With what might be regarded as unseemly haste, Disney is negotiating with the actor’s estate over her continued appearance in the franchise,” said presenter Kirsty Wark. “If Disney gets the go-ahead, Carrie Fisher will join Peter Cushing, who, last month, 15 years after his death, played a key role in Rogue One as Grand Moff Tarkin."

It’s not unprecedented for studios to find ways of creating posthumous performances when an actor dies suddenly. When Brandon Lee died on the set of The Crow, stunt doubles and simple camera trickery were used to complete the picture, while rewrites, reshoots and CGI helped in the completion of Gladiator when Oliver Reed died part way through the filming of Ridley Scott’s 2000 film.

As Wark said on the Newsnight report, however, “The ethics of using technology to include deceased actors in films after they have committed to a project are one thing, but things get a little bit trickier when a project is instigated after a performer has died.”

The Newsnight report notes that some actors, such as Robin Williams, who died in 2014, have explicitly forbidden the use of their image after their death. If Fisher had made a similar request, it remains to be seen. Although if her uproarious roast of Star Wars creator George Lucas while presenting him with the AFI Life Achievement Award is anything to go by, Fisher wasn’t keen on anyone owning her likeness.

“George, the fact you made me into a little doll that my first husband could stick pins into,” she says to Lucas from the podium, "a shampoo bottle where people could twist my head off and pour liquid out of my neck – ‘lather up with Leia and you’ll feel like a princess yourself’ – and yes, the little Pez dispenser so that my daughter, Billie, could pull my head back and pull a wafer from my neck every time she didn’t want to do her homework, I suppose I don’t mind. And although amongst your many possessions you have owned my likeness through all these years so that every time I look in the mirror I have to send you a cheque for a couple of bucks… I’m only slightly bitter because you are an extraordinary talent, and yes, let’s face it, an artist.”

Watch the full video below, the Newsnight report here, and let us know your thoughts on the subject in the comments below.


Star Wars VIII is released 15 Dec