Star Wars 9’s director opens up about making the movie without Carrie Fisher and paying tribute

There’s going to be a time, very soon, where we’ll have to say goodbye to Carrie Fisher’s Leia. Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the most likely option for General Organa to bow out, but Star Wars 9 director Colin Trevorrow has talked about making a Star Wars movie without Carrie Fisher, and how the ninth instalment will pay tribute to the galaxy’s favourite princess.

Speaking to CinemaBlend during an interview about his latest movie The Book of Henry, Trevorrow opened up about how Star Wars 9 will deal with Carrie Fisher’s passing.

“She was a major character, that's not a secret. She really was. And it was extremely sad for all of us, mostly just because she was so loved by the Star Wars family and everyone that worked with her,” Trevorrow said, “I feel like our options are limited mostly by ourselves, in that there are only certain things that we are willing to do. But I can guarantee it will be handled with love and respect, and all of the soul that Carrie Fisher deserves.”

Reading between the lines, the ‘love and respect’ would probably indicate some sort of tribute – a title card of some sort – at the beginning or end of the movie. Or maybe they’ll go the Star Trek Beyond route which, after Leonard Nimoy’s passing, included Ambassador Spock’s death as part of the movie, and was a touching sendoff to the character.

Tragically, Trevorrow never got to meet Carrie Fisher – but it looks like he’ll deal with her untimely death in a manner befitting her outstanding legacy.

Image: Lucasfilm

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.