Star Wars: Episode IX - Leia's part

[photon]

Possible spoilers though really stuff one would completely expect after having seen TFA. I'll put the quote in spoilers.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hea...-future-960849

Spoiler!

Carrie Fisher's Dec. 27 death has left a disturbance in the Force. Her iconic Princess Leia is set to appear in the next two Star Wars films, and insiders tell The Hollywood Reporter that at least two key scenes are planned for Episode VIII (Dec. 15) and Episode IX (2019): a Leia reunion with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and a confrontation with Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), her son who killed Harrison Ford's Han Solo in 2015's The Force Awakens.

Details of where those scenes fit into the movies remain unclear, but insiders say Leia was to have been a bigger part of Episode IX than VIII.

She'd already filmed her parts for Episode VIII, but if her parts in Episode IX are substantial or critical, then they would either have to rewrite the script (either to change the plot and have Leia off screen for some reason during the movie, or to have her die in the movie, an an off screen death would be a terrible way to honour Fisher), to recast Leia with another actress if they think the script would be too diminished by rewriting it, or to do Leia as a CGI character.

Out of those options I think I'd prefer a different actress. Maybe one that's endorsed by Fisher's estate to make it more palatable to people who might otherwise be upset by it.

I don't think a digital effect would be what Fisher would want, and if it's a large role it'll be more difficult to do well than brief chunks. And I don't think Fisher had such a big ego that she'd want her face to be Leia and no one else. I don't think a digital actor honours a passed on actor, and it feels like a money decision rather than a story decision.

Rewriting the script I don't like because Leia is a badass and deserves to be part of the story, and an off screen death or a digital actor death I don't think does justice.

So the only thing I think I would want is a different actress. Would that be too hard to take for fans though?

Or I guess they could do some combination of minor re-writing and casting, have a different actress like get Fisher's daughter and have some in-universe reason she's young again or something.

I hope it's not too soon, but I don't feel the idea is like moving on but rather how to best honour Fisher.

[Fuzz]

Episode XI? or IX?

They could have some sort of accident where she is forced to cover her face. Use a voice actor to get it as close as possible.

[pseudoreality]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

They could have some sort of accident where she is forced to cover her face. Use a voice actor to get it as close as possible.

Lady Vader!

[East Coast Flame]

Yeah I think you have to re-cast her. Presumably the scenes are going to be important and probably bring some kind of conclusion or finality to her character...and I think that character and Carrie Fisher are owed that, so an off screen death or a re-write would be the worst decisions in my opinion.

I didn't mind the CGI in Rouge One, but I can't imagine an emotional scene being done that way. A real actor is the way to go.

Tough situation. They really are in a no-win, as people are going to lose their minds whatever the decision is.

[photon]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Episode XI? or IX?

Whoops, fixed.

Originally Posted by pseudoreality

Lady Vader!

Oh man, Leia goes to the dark side, I now want a complete rewrite.

[Huntingwhale]

Look at the uproar it caused on CP (and probably around the world) with her 2 seconds CGI appearance in Rogue One. Imagine the whining if they CGI'd her for an entire film!

We'd never hear the end of it. For that reason alone I'd recast her. Maybe her daughter and just make her look old somehow? Or a look-alike and maybe digitally alter her voice?

Naw who am I kidding. More funny to troll everyone and CGI her. They did a good job with Tarkin. CGI Leia would be fine.

[photon]

Some people said they didn't like the effect but thought the movie was good/great, that's not an uproar.

Regardless of the quality, I don't think a CGI character honours the memory of Fisher. Pulling up past actors seems more like a money grab, and I don't think she'd have liked that.

[Inglewood Jack]

Ep IX is 3 years away, maybe if they work really hard at the computer puppet stuff they can get it to a point where it's acceptable for the vast majority?

funny thing about CGI, I remember when they were working on Avatar the hype was that they were finally going to achieve artificial worlds and creatures indistinguishable from reality. I saw it on TV a few days ago and it doesn't look any better than a current Pixar or Dreamworks feature.

this march towards realistic humans is taking longer than I originally would have predicted, but processing power never stops growing and one day it will match up with our perception. ask someone from the Max Headroom era whether they would believe R1 Tarkin is possible, and they probably would have said never, just like some people say now about fully convincing fake humans.

[photon]

I didn't really want to rehash the CGI character quality debate...

So if we assume that a CGI character could be done to the degree that it wouldn't be distinguishable from a real person, should that be the route? I'd still say no.

[djsFlames]

Well thank goodness we got a warm up dose of CGI'd characters in R1 to get that discussion (/bitching) out of the way.

Given how it worked for most/at least half of the audience in Rogue, CGI is probably the route they're gonna take. But "major" scenes doesn't sound good. The anti-CG crowd are gonna go ape if we have a few key dramatic scenes involving a resurrected/computerized General Leia.

I personally loved Tarkin, I thought he was fine and he had several scenes. Young Leia looked a bit corny, but mainly cause of the "hope!" line.

[Inglewood Jack]

Originally Posted by photon

I didn't really want to rehash the CGI character quality debate...

So if we assume that a CGI character could be done to the degree that it wouldn't be distinguishable from a real person, should that be the route? I'd still say no.

I vote yes because I'm in the group that found the puppets in R1 not good enough for prime time. I think it would be a huge technical milestone, something that if Star Wars doesn't end up using, some other movie will. and the craziest part is that they'll be able to drop it in anywhere and not necessarily even have to tell you.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by Inglewood Jack

funny thing about CGI, I remember when they were working on Avatar the hype was that they were finally going to achieve artificial worlds and creatures indistinguishable from reality. I saw it on TV a few days ago and it doesn't look any better than a current Pixar or Dreamworks feature.

Watched it the other day for the first time in years. Problem was the avatar graphics were WAY oversaturated. Maybe they could've blended in somewhat better if there wasn't a clear distinguishable difference between colours of pandora scenes and real backdrops/characters. Was like someone flipping the saturation setting back and forth between 70 and 110. Looking back, it looked quite bad. But it was cutting edge for the time I guess. The sad thing is the realization that we have hardly progressed in terms of the realism of movie CG in the 7-8 years since.

[CroFlames]

The thing is, it's old Leia now.

Young Leia became iconic, and therefore young Carrie Fisher was iconic. For old Leia, you can re-cast her and it would be more than fine. I imagine the scene where Leia confronts Kylo will be emotionally charged, should you should definitely get a talented actress to do it, and not a CGI bot.

[Northendzone]

I hope they CGI it. you have to suspend belief when you head into the movie theater anywyas, so what is one more.

but, sometimes it is hard to please groups of guys who don't shower for days on end

[CaptainCrunch]

They could probably reshoot a heroic death for her in the next movie to make Kylo or Snoke even more hated.

Have her board the millenium falcon and take off to go meet her son only to have him ambush her and we see him say good bye mother as he fires his blasters thus destroying the Falcon and killing his mother.

Then if you wanted to use CGI without getting a uproar she can show up in the next movie as a glowy force ghost to Luke.

[Wormius]

I think Annette Benning would be a suitable recast for Leia if they decide to go that path. Otherwise maybe cgi for as short as possible.

[Hack&Lube]

Disney received a multi-million dollar insurance payout for her accidental death. They can definitely pay for a Tarkin CG effect . I think if all the actors and her estate came out in support of this, fans may be accepting of it.

Recasting is always very jarring in my eyes.

If only they could bring Han Solo back somehow to confront Kylo again instead of Leia. It was also unfortunate he never shared anymore scenes with Luke.

[Inglewood Jack]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Have her board the millenium falcon and take off to go meet her son only to have him ambush her and we see him say good bye mother as he fires his blasters thus destroying the Falcon and killing his mother.

destroy the Falcon? this time you've gone too far, Cap. this isn't Star Trek where the Enterprise gets trashed every single movie and they just head back to Utopia Planitia for a shiny new model.

besides, that thing has taken direct poundings from pursuing star destroyers, tie fighters, asteroid fields, exploding death stars, and Rey knocking it around like she just polished off a bottle of Qui Gon's gin. Kylo would have a tough time blowing it up...unless I suppose he used ion cannons first.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Wormius

I think Annette Benning would be a suitable recast for Leia...

Marisa Tomei or nothing.

[SuperMatt18]

I had no issue with the use of CGI on Tarkin and young Leah - but it was also for pretty basic scenes.

Trying to do that for a emotional scene with Luke or Kylo probably doesn't work - I just don't think you can get that type of emotional interaction from the CGI at this point in time.

Personally I think they should just work around it and have her also have a dignified death in VIII, causing us to hate Snoke even more.

Then have her show up as a CGI force ghost in VIX - which would be pretty easy to do IMO.