The death of the beloved actress and author Carrie Fisher didn’t just leave a hole in the Hollywood Olympus, but in the Star Wars epic, which launched Fisher to fame in 1977 as princess Leia Organa.
With her passing, the question arose as to how Disney, which owns Star Wars, would finish off the new trilogy. She reprised her role as Leia last year in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and will return later this year in episode eight of the franchise. How the production will move forward without the actress has been subject of speculation; in the recently released prequel, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, a computer-generated recreation of a young Fisher as Leia was briefly used and reports were circulating that Disney is negotiating with Fisher’s estate over her “continued appearance in the franchise” as a computer-generated character.
The news generated some outrage amongst fans—including at Quartz. So much so that Lucasfilm has now broke tradition by releasing a statement denying that such plans are underway. The statement, published on the Star Wars official website, reads:
We don’t normally respond to fan or press speculation, but there is a rumor circulating that we would like to address. We want to assure our fans that Lucasfilm has no plans to digitally recreate Carrie Fisher’s performance as princess or general Leia Organa.
The statement also included a heartfelt remembrance of Fisher. “We are still hurting from her loss,” it said. “We cherish her memory and legacy as princess Leia, and will always strive to honor everything she gave to Star Wars.”