Carrie Fisher may have moved on to the next life but Princess or rather General Leah Organa may possibly still be around after "Star Wars: Episode VIII".
Fisher managed to finish filming for the next Star Wars film before a sudden heart attack during a flight from London to Los Angeles took her away at the age of 60. The actress and writer initially survived the cardiac arrest, which took place on Friday during the 11-hour flight. After the plane landed, Fisher was rushed to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center where she was placed in the ICU. She was declared in stable condition after a couple of days but, as fate would have it, the Force wasn't strong enough to will her back to health. Fisher lost her short battle on Dec. 27 at 12:44 p.m. EST.
What's Next, Princess?
Leia's involvement in future Star Wars films depends on what will happen to the beloved character in "Star Wars: Episode VIII".
"Star Wars: Episode IX" is already scheduled for a 2019 release and that will give the producers and writers enough time to decide on how to handle the loss of the veteran actress. Bringing the character back is not a problem with the advancement in technology. However, the more pressing issue is the ethics behind bringing the dead back.
The Acting Dead
A number of deceased celebrities have been making a re-appearance in films for some years now.
Paul Walker died in a car crash before he could finish shooting "Fast and Furious 7" but his character managed to be present until the ending sequence thanks to CGI. The next instalment of the franchise will again have CGI Walker in the fold.
Laurence Olivier, who was been dead for 15 years at the time, was brought back to life by CGI magic to star as the villain of 2004's "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow". Old footage of the actor was used to create the hologram of the character while another actor voiced it.
Award-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman's death in 2014 was a big blow to the "Hunger Games" franchise but they were able to complete the series by digitally recreating the versatile actor.
Deceased beauties Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe were also digitally recreated to star in a couple of advertisements - a 2011 Dior ad (Kelly and Monroe) and a 2014 Galaxy chocolate ad (Hepburn).
Have Filmmakers Gone Rouge? (Warning: Spoiler Alert!)
In the latest Star Wars franchise film, "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story", a number of CGI recreated characters made an appearance. First, a young Princess Leia was seen receiving the Death Star plans at the end of the film.
Red and Gold Leader also made it back. Drewe Hanely, who played Red Leader/Garven Dreis died in February 2016. Angus MacInnes is still alive but probably looked too old to play the young Jan Vander/Gold Leader. Old unused footages were used of the two X-Wing fighters.
The other one was Grand Moff Tarkin who was played by the late Peter Cushing. The legendary British actor passed away in 1994 and his return, while quite impressive, was met with some backlash.
Not a few offered their two cents regarding the use of a long dead actor in a new film. There's the issue of permission, of course, as the dead cannot speak for themselves. Some also question the need to include the characters in the film.
The second issue was quickly answered by the filmmakers. Kiri Hart of Lucasfilm's Story Group reiterated that Tarkin is crucial to the story as the Death star was "kind of his thing".
The more pressing concern is referred to as "digital indignity" by The Guardian. Cushing's estate approved of the recreation so the legalities are not a problem. With Fisher, her daughter and other living relatives may have to make the decision if and when the time comes.
There is a bit of nostalgia seeing deceased celebrities back in the big screen and that may be the deal breaker here. Also, as long as the character is really essential to the story then go ahead and digitally recreate the deceased. But if the reason for bringing the dead back is to earn some bucks then the filmmakers need to go back to ethics class.
