slop101

They're all gonna end up in a happy after-life world where they celebrate their friendship until forever, like the end of Lost. (which honestly is not unlike the end of Jedi, what with the ghosts of Obi-wan, Yoda and Anakin being all bullshit-happy together)

Deadman31

Snoke is Donald Trump.

mcnabb

I don't think they want Episode 8 stealing any thunder from Rogue One as this is still a standalone movie that isn't technically connected to the Skywalker Saga.

I like that they have held off all Episode 8 promotional stuff this year. It makes 2017 that much sweeter that we'll get a teaser, movie title, trailers, footage at Comic-Con, interviews, etc all in one compact 11-12 month blitz.

Timber

I wonder if a re-write/re-shot of the end of 8 will now have to take place. 9 will certainly have to be rewritten now.

Mike86

Well I'm guessing that Leia wasn't going to be a big part of the films as her role in The Force Awakens was pretty limited. Still wonder how they'll handle the character though. Definitely a sad loss.

Paul_SD

They might be able to cobble something together with B roll footage that allows them to give the character some closure- even if it's just something like a voice over saying "General your shuttles ready" as she reacts to the offscreen voice, and then later we get news that the shuttle was attacked and destroyed.

ADR might be be a problem, but I would expect her part to be little more than a cameo in VIII anyway. IX would have likely had a scene reuniting her with Luke, but they still have room to work around it.

RoboDad

And yet, it might have been planned to be larger, given the fact that she is Luke's sister.

slop101

Just as long as they don't CGI her like they did with R1.

GuessWho

Who cares about her reuniting with her brother? A big trilogy-finale reunion was probably going to be with her redeemed son, Ben.

Jay G.

There's already a few articles speculating on how Carrie Fisher's death will affect Eps 8 & 9:

http://heavy.com/news/2016/12/carrie...a-organa-role/
http://www.cinemablend.com/news/1604...ar-wars-movies

Principle photography for Ep 8 ended in July, and they say they got all of Carrie's shots. There's the possibility of pickups or reshoots still for the film, but they can maybe work around that with existing footage or rewriting scenes, like what happened with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Monkingjay Part 2
https://www.theguardian.com/film/201...-2-paul-walker

Episode 9 is going to be the big problem, if her role was planned to be substantial for that.

mcnabb

I was not a big fan of CGI Tarkin & Leia, so I hope they don't go that route for Episode 8 or 9.

At this point, one option would to be to have the rebellion base hit and blown up and she is killed that way. That way they could do a closed-casket funeral for Leia (which would be gut wrenching for the audience because it would be OUR way of paying our final respects).

It's a tough situation for Disney, but I'm surprised they wanted Luke & Leia for all 3 movies given their age. I always thought Han, Luke and Leia would pass the torch in Episode 7 and that would be it for them.

Paul_SD

The story (such as it is) does. That's what it says in the opening crawl. That's a goal for her character- to find her brother. Some sort of reunion is a given at some point.



Why does she need to be reunited with her evil son? Why does he have to be redeemed?
Is it so the 'saga' can rhyme like bad poetry?

Jay G.

Well, for one of those characters, Episode 7 was certainly it for them.

I think the original plan by Lucas was for those characters to only make cameos of sorts in Ep 7, but I think the filmmakers Disney has picked for the films were interested in keeping them around.

Keeping Luke around makes sense, since he's the last Jedi; there's no Yoda to pass the role to by killing Luke off. I could see him dying in Ep 9 after passing on his training. For Leia, she's basically filling the Mon Mothma role of Rebel Resistance leader, so she can be included, if not prominent.

Also, 60 years old really isn't that old. Michael Gambon was 64 when he took over the role of Dumbledore, and Ian McKellen was 62 when the first Lord of the Rings movie came out. Alec Guinness was 63 when Star Wars came out.

Decker

Something like that is the way they'll have to go. It's a downer, but you can't recast or do a digital insert for a part this important and iconic.
I was thinking, they could maybe bring in Genevieve O'Reilly in old-age makeup to reprise her role as Mon Mothma as a DH to lead the rebellion in the last film.

Jay G.

Um, why not bring back Caroline Blakiston, the original Mon Mothma, no old-age makeup necessary. She's still alive, and still acting:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0086860/

DthRdrX

One idea: Have a longer time gap, similar to the ten year gap between TPM/ATOC. Leia can pass off screen. It's all going to depend on how they end E8.

Artman

They could keep the ending they have filmed (a possible reunion between Luke and Leia), and than piece together some kind of opening attack in Ep9. Or re-film an ending where Luke doesn't make it in time... that would be a very dramatic scene, with just Luke having a quiet moment beside his sister. I'm guessing Ep8 is not going to go well for the heroes as it is, and this would certainly be the biggest downer of all the films. Raises the stakes going forward, Luke's role, motivation for everyone, etc.

Fortunately there is plenty of time for the writers and directors to come up with the best possible send-off....and just imagine John Williams scoring that last Princess Leia theme.

JTH182

I just really hope they filmed a scene or scenes where Leia uses the Force. It would really suck to never see her wield Force powers. That's one thing I think I and many other fans have wanted to see for a very long time.

B5Erik

I don't think they'll kill her off in an attack. I think they'll have her pass in her sleep in between movies.

K&AJones

Amen....something where Luke is getting zapped, she's frightened, unsure and Luke tells her, "Leia...you are my sister, a Skywalker....the Force is strong in our family"

TGM

such a conundrum for filmmakers... just like Anton Yelchin... do you do what is right for the story and the character or what is morally right in memory of the actor?

Artman

I think that'd be my first choice now that I think about it... let Ep8 finish as intended. The Ep9 crawl can simply sate General Leia has fallen ill, and you'd still have opportunity for a graveside scene of some kind - either to open or close the movie.

B.A.

Abob Teff

But it will be a suspicious death. C-3PO and R2-D2 will go into sleuth mode and begin to unravel the mystery. It will be revealed that Chewbacca killed her for all those years of snubbing him.

mcnabb

I haven't read any spoilers, but I assume that Luke & Leia will have some reunion during Episode 8. Wow that scene is going to be a punch in the gut for everyone knowing that will be the last time they will be on screen together, as it maybe one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the Saga.