It looks like future appearances from Leia Organa are closer to being a reality after Carrie Fisher's final performance as the character in
Star Wars: Episode VIII. It was
reported last week that
Star Wars: Episode IX director Colin Trevorrow would be meeting with Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy over the future of Fisher's character after her tragic death, and that talk appears to have escalated into negotiations with Fisher's estate over the use of her appearance in future films.
In an episode of
BBC Newsnight discussing the use of CG characters in movies (which you can view
here if you live in the UK), a quote from the segment confirms that Disney is currently in talks with Fisher's estate.
“And if what might be regarded as unseemly haste, Disney is negotiating with the actor’s estate over her continued appearance in the franchise. If Disney gets the go-ahead, Carrie Fisher will join Peter Cushing…”
While this certainly seems hasty (especially since Fisher passed away just two weeks ago), negotiations are not direct confirmation of anything, and given the rumours that Leia was supposed to have a much larger role in both upcoming installments, this isn't exactly suprising. Aside from Leia's older self, another possibility could be that Lucasfilm wants the option to use Fisher's likeness in the same capacity as
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which featured a younger Leia.
Rogue One's cameo was created with Fisher's permission while she was alive, but future uses may be complicated after her death.
We'll be sure to keep you updated as this story develops! Let us know what you think below.