Posted in: Movies | Tagged: carrie fisher, disney, lucasfilm, Peter Cushing, rogue one, star wars
BBC Reports Disney Negotiating With Carrie Fisher Estate On Future CGI Carrie Fisher Appearances In Star Wars
BBC TV show Newsnight explored the concept of digitally recreating actors with CGI for movies and television ads, and in the course of a larger discussion about the ethics of this practice, they dropped a bombshell revelation, claiming that Disney is already negotiating with Carrie Fisher's estate to use the actress's image in future Star Wars film. Host Kristy Wark first makes the claim during a tease at the beginning of the show.
"Peter Cushing and Carrie Fisher are no longer with us, but that's no obstacle to being a major character in a new Star Wars movie," Wark said over footage of Peter Cushing and Carrie Fisher from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. "But will Carrie Fisher also get digitally resurrected, and would she really want that?"
The claim is reiterated later in the show, with Wark again saying, "With what might be regarded as unseemly haste, Disney is negotiating with the actor's estate over continued appearance in the franchise. If Disney gets the go ahead, Carrie Fisher will join Peter Cushing who, last month, fifteen years after his death, played a key role in Rogue One as Grand Moff Tarkin." Wark then discusses the topic with guests, but there are no interviews from anyone involved in the decision, and no further evidence is presented or sources referred to.
That Disney would be interested in obtaining the license to use a CGI Fisher isn't all that surprising, especially since Fisher reportedly has a large role in the already-filmed Episode 8, and was contracted for Episode 9 as well. Disney will reportedly collect a $50,000,000 insurance payment after Fisher's death, due to her inability to fulfill the final movie obligation. Director Colin Trevorrow and Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy were reported to meet last week to discuss the future of Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise.