Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (12/20/19, W/D: J.J. Abrams)
#151
re: Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (12/20/19, W/D: J.J. Abrams)
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. Episode VIII director Rian Johnson has finished shooting, but Episode IX doesn't have a start date; both Force Awakens and Episode VIII began production at the beginning of a year so it is very likely that Episode IX will begin shooting in early 2018 for a December 2019 release. And the status of its script, being written by Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly, is unknown. (Disney won't comment.)
Trevorrow, the filmmaker behind Jurassic World who is directing Episode IX, is due to arrive in L.A. the week of Jan. 10 for meetings with Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy to discuss options. But unlike in other cases where actors died during the filmmaking process — Paul Walker in Furious 7 comes to mind — it appears that the team has time to explore solutions.
(As well as time to grieve. As one insider puts it, "People are still deeply mourning Carrie's death over there.")
Leia could be written out and her scenes reshot, options not unheard of in the Star Wars universe. Rogue One went through a major overhaul and was met with glowing reviews and blockbuster box office. Episode VIII also went through a major rewrite with Johnson, who had to overhaul his script after he saw the significant changes J.J. Abrams made to the overarching Star Wars story thanks to his extensive postproduction work during Force Awakens. (Johnson had based his script on Force Awakens' earlier drafts.)
Another solution is to use CGI effects; a reduced role could mean Leia would only appear in glimpses. "Rogue One is the road map," says one Star Wars source, referring to Lucasfilm resurrecting Peter Cushing and making Fisher young again in the current hit.
"I have no doubt, given some of the recent work I've seen, there are filmmakers who will be willing to take up the challenge," says Michael Fink, an Oscar-winning VFX supervisor who teaches at USC. But, "so far, we have seen moments of success but not full performances." He says there's also ethics to weigh: "Should we create additional roles for Princess Leia? I don't think so."
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. Episode VIII director Rian Johnson has finished shooting, but Episode IX doesn't have a start date; both Force Awakens and Episode VIII began production at the beginning of a year so it is very likely that Episode IX will begin shooting in early 2018 for a December 2019 release. And the status of its script, being written by Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly, is unknown. (Disney won't comment.)
Trevorrow, the filmmaker behind Jurassic World who is directing Episode IX, is due to arrive in L.A. the week of Jan. 10 for meetings with Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy to discuss options. But unlike in other cases where actors died during the filmmaking process — Paul Walker in Furious 7 comes to mind — it appears that the team has time to explore solutions.
(As well as time to grieve. As one insider puts it, "People are still deeply mourning Carrie's death over there.")
Leia could be written out and her scenes reshot, options not unheard of in the Star Wars universe. Rogue One went through a major overhaul and was met with glowing reviews and blockbuster box office. Episode VIII also went through a major rewrite with Johnson, who had to overhaul his script after he saw the significant changes J.J. Abrams made to the overarching Star Wars story thanks to his extensive postproduction work during Force Awakens. (Johnson had based his script on Force Awakens' earlier drafts.)
Another solution is to use CGI effects; a reduced role could mean Leia would only appear in glimpses. "Rogue One is the road map," says one Star Wars source, referring to Lucasfilm resurrecting Peter Cushing and making Fisher young again in the current hit.
"I have no doubt, given some of the recent work I've seen, there are filmmakers who will be willing to take up the challenge," says Michael Fink, an Oscar-winning VFX supervisor who teaches at USC. But, "so far, we have seen moments of success but not full performances." He says there's also ethics to weigh: "Should we create additional roles for Princess Leia? I don't think so."
#152
DVD Talk Legend
re: Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (12/20/19, W/D: J.J. Abrams)
They need to figure out a way to complete the trilogy without Leia being a huge part of it. I'm not interested in watching a film with a CGI Leia as a lead. Doing that would do more harm to the Star Wars name than the prequels did IMO.
#153
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re: Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (12/20/19, W/D: J.J. Abrams)
I'm hoping against the CGI Leia as well. Maybe they can explain Leia's absence in the opening crawl of IX? With that route, they'll have an excuse to write another book/cartoon/comic telling that part of the story and therefore more $$$
#154
re: Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (12/20/19, W/D: J.J. Abrams)
The late Carrie Fisher will appear in 'Star Wars: Episode IX', says brother Todd Fisher
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain...icle-1.3030154
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain...icle-1.3030154
The late Carrie Fisher will make an appearance from beyond the grave in the final "Star Wars" movie of the new trilogy, her brother Todd Fisher tells Confidential.
After months of speculation about Carrie's future in the sci-fi saga, Todd has revealed that Disney bosses want to bring Princess Leia back for Episode 9. And he said he and Carrie's daughter, Billie Lourd, have granted the studio rights to use recent footage for the finale. It is understood that CGI will not be used to recreate Leia.
“Both of us were like, ‘Yes, how do you take her out of it?’ And the answer is you don't,” said Fisher, as he attended the opening night gala of the TCM Film Festival in Los Angeles, celebrating “In the Heat of the Night.”
“She’s as much a part of it as anything and I think her presence now is even more powerful than it was, like Obi Wan — when the saber cuts him down he becomes more powerful. I feel like that's what's happened with Carrie. I think the legacy should continue.”
To what extent Leia will figure in to the storyline is not clear. “I’m not the only part in that equation, but I think the people deserve to have her,” said Fisher. “She's owned by them.”
And he said he had total faith in the filmmakers to “do great things.”
“You don't mess with this legacy,” he said. “It would be like rewriting the Bible. To me, 'Star Wars' is the holy grail of storytelling and lore and you can't mess with it.”
After months of speculation about Carrie's future in the sci-fi saga, Todd has revealed that Disney bosses want to bring Princess Leia back for Episode 9. And he said he and Carrie's daughter, Billie Lourd, have granted the studio rights to use recent footage for the finale. It is understood that CGI will not be used to recreate Leia.
“Both of us were like, ‘Yes, how do you take her out of it?’ And the answer is you don't,” said Fisher, as he attended the opening night gala of the TCM Film Festival in Los Angeles, celebrating “In the Heat of the Night.”
“She’s as much a part of it as anything and I think her presence now is even more powerful than it was, like Obi Wan — when the saber cuts him down he becomes more powerful. I feel like that's what's happened with Carrie. I think the legacy should continue.”
To what extent Leia will figure in to the storyline is not clear. “I’m not the only part in that equation, but I think the people deserve to have her,” said Fisher. “She's owned by them.”
And he said he had total faith in the filmmakers to “do great things.”
“You don't mess with this legacy,” he said. “It would be like rewriting the Bible. To me, 'Star Wars' is the holy grail of storytelling and lore and you can't mess with it.”
#155
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
re: Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (12/20/19, W/D: J.J. Abrams)
B roll footage... Alternate takes...using her primarily for reaction shots as other characters dispense exposition, and then shifting some of her heavy duty story functions over to other characters- with any gaps remaining paved over with some discretely applied CGI.
it'll be more work than they anticipated or initially budgeted for, but it's doable.
it'll be more work than they anticipated or initially budgeted for, but it's doable.
#157
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re: Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (12/20/19, W/D: J.J. Abrams)
The bottom line is we simply don't know what's going on. They could delete her scenes from episode 8 and save them for use in episode 9.
#158
DVD Talk Legend
re: Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (12/20/19, W/D: J.J. Abrams)
This is what I figured all along. They'll find some extra footage from TFA and ep 8 and work around it for 9.
But I'm still flabbergasted that they didn't film all three movies simultaneously for this very reason.
But I'm still flabbergasted that they didn't film all three movies simultaneously for this very reason.
#159
DVD Talk Legend
re: Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (12/20/19, W/D: J.J. Abrams)
#161
DVD Talk Hero
re: Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (12/20/19, W/D: J.J. Abrams)
For example, if she had two major scenes scriptedand filmedfor 8, such a reunion with Luke and confronting Kylo Ren, then one could be held back for 9. I just hope that whatever they do doesn't disrupt the story flow or damage the structure of the trilogy.
#162
DVD Talk Hero
re: Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (12/20/19, W/D: J.J. Abrams)
#163
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
re: Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (12/20/19, W/D: J.J. Abrams)
And that was well before we were anywhere close to cg'ing human beings, in medium shots, in a live action movie.
When the talk was originally that they weren't going to resort to CG at all, I had the same thought as you guys- try to split her in-the-can scenes up and carry some of them over to the IX if the story timeline permitted it.
The goal would be to have her presence in that last film in any capacity. But she would still need some kind of send off scene- even if that were just a lingering CU such as when she watched Fetts ship take off from the Cloud City ramp in Empire. Something like that could be preceded by a "good luck on your mission" scene, and it would at least put a punctuation point at the end of her story duties. Even if it were just a period and not an exclamation point.
If the plan for the end of IX was to throw a big party or award ceremony and she wouldn't be available to be in scene in any significant fashion, I'd say "GOOD!" . It would force them to come up with something fresh and original for a satisfying curtain close to the trilogy. Maybe some (most?) fans think that kind of shot is necessary to be a SW movie, but Empire whittled that down to be tonally in keeping with it's films tenor, so the precedent is there.
And I really get the feeling that the filmmakers and producers won't be satisfied to simply ape ROTJ as a trilogy close. I honestly think they are going to want to try to better that and go with Lucas's original intent which is a bittersweet ending.
That's not to say that Leia has to die, simply that we don't need to see the full cast present and celebratory for the last shot before we iris out. The focus could be down to one lone protagonist who, in the course of battle was victorious, but is now is far afield of his/her comrades and needs to embark on a long solitary journey alone to get back to them. A silent close up on him/her as we read a progression of emotions that finally ends with a look of cheerful determination would likely be just fine as a send off.
I know there are some people that hate this kind of speculation, but I find this situation to be more fascinating than the actual story content here.
I really don't care who Snoke is or what Rey's mysterious parentage is.
or who is going to *surprise* flip to being bad and who will flip to being good.
But trying to work around a serious limitation like the unavailability of a pivotal character? That kind of puzzle and problem solving gets my brain spinning and juices flowing.
Those avenues available will obviously become clearer after people see Last Jedi. But it's a challenge good artists can rise to- just the way people like Lubistch and Wilder rose to the challenge of presenting sexually sophisticated material in the middle of a draconian production code.
It's do-able. And it's the kind of challenge that separate the truly thoughtful artisans from the paycheck cashing hacks.
#164
DVD Talk Gold Edition
re: Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (12/20/19, W/D: J.J. Abrams)
I'm actually rewatching The Sopranos now, and just watched that episode last week. I remembered the effect being off putting when I first saw it, but seeing it today just boggles the mind, it's so bad. Can't believe they decided that was the best way to address the situation.
#165
DVD Talk Limited Edition
re: Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (12/20/19, W/D: J.J. Abrams)
I'm a big fan of TFA, but I thought Leia was the weak link of the movie. Part of it was she just came off as stilted (I don't know if I blame JJ's direction or that Fisher was rusty)? All she essentially did in the movie was sit in the Resistance Headquarters and say a few lines that they could have had anyone say.
I know she is the mother of Kylo Ren, but the fact she is a freakin Jedi and sends Han off to talk to him still puzzles me. At that point, just keep her as a ceremonial role in Episode 8 & 9 with a few parts (a reunion with Luke) and keep her as a minor character.
#166
DVD Talk Legend & 2021 TOTY Winner
re: Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (12/20/19, W/D: J.J. Abrams)
Leia is force sensitive, but she is not a Jedi.
#167
DVD Talk Legend
re: Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (12/20/19, W/D: J.J. Abrams)
I'm still surprised they decided to give her such a big role in Episode 8 & 9 after what they gave her in TFA.
I'm a big fan of TFA, but I thought Leia was the weak link of the movie. Part of it was she just came off as stilted (I don't know if I blame JJ's direction or that Fisher was rusty)?
I'm a big fan of TFA, but I thought Leia was the weak link of the movie. Part of it was she just came off as stilted (I don't know if I blame JJ's direction or that Fisher was rusty)?
#169
DVD Talk Legend
re: Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (12/20/19, W/D: J.J. Abrams)
Even without considering the ages of the actors, I'm thinking more of how the Lord of the Rings movies were filmed together. I know there were later pickups, but the idea was to get the bulk of the movie filmed in one go. Disney/LFL knew they were making a trilogy, it's not like they were waiting to see if EP 7 would do well at the box office, I just can't fathom them not doing it as one big project.
#170
DVD Talk Legend & 2021 TOTY Winner
re: Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (12/20/19, W/D: J.J. Abrams)
The old EU is no longer canon, and never really was in the first place. The EU is glorified fan fiction.
#171
DVD Talk Legend
re: Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (12/20/19, W/D: J.J. Abrams)
It's clear from the timing from when Disney purchased Lucasfilm to when they announced TFA, and the initial release date they announced, that they wanted a new Star Wars film out as fast as possible.
Besides, as evidenced by The Hobbit, it's not like shooting 3 films together creates better movies, and there's never a guarantee that an actor won't die mid-shoot during a months-long filming process. In fact, it may be worse if an actor dies during a combined shoot, since it's likely the footage is being shot for all 3 films out of sequence, so the actor may have already shot for all 3 films, but still be missing critical scenes in even the first film.
The old EU was never "canon," in that Lucas never felt beholden to it for the films or TV shows, although he would sometimes borrow certain material from it if he felt like it. The only real change was that Disney/Lucasfilm rebooted the EU, so now the new EU isn't beholden to the old EU.
#172
re: Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (12/20/19, W/D: J.J. Abrams)
I'm a big fan of TFA, but I thought Leia was the weak link of the movie. Part of it was she just came off as stilted (I don't know if I blame JJ's direction or that Fisher was rusty)? All she essentially did in the movie was sit in the Resistance Headquarters and say a few lines that they could have had anyone say.
Also, the scene where she talks to Han about Kylo Ren in the Resistance base appears to have been pieced together from separate shoots. It plays out in back and forth over the shoulder close-ups of the two actors, with Carrie's shots changing angles and framing constantly. They even switch from a medium shot to a close-up of her during the same line: "You think I want to forget him? I want him back.". She may have been rusty on set, but it seems the editors did their best to make it all work.
#175
DVD Talk Legend