'Star Wars: Episode IX' news: Premiere set for May 2019; will Carrie Fisher's recent footage be used?
It is official — "Star Wars: Episode IX" will premiere on May 24, 2019.
Reports say the film's premiere date was revealed along with the announcement that "Indiana Jones 5" will be pushed back to a later release. Instead of 2019, the hit franchise will come to cinemas in July 2020. Further details about the upcoming film's plot and new cast additions are currently under wraps.
Meanwhile, many fans were devastated upon learning about Carrie Fisher's death in December 2016. Although Fisher's passing has a huge impact on the franchise, Disney chief executive officer Bob Iger said the veteran actress' death will not change the flow of "Episode VIII."
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said in an interview that the creative team had to start over and leave their original plans for Leia behind after Fisher's death. "We pretty much started over," she said.
Kennedy also confirmed that Fisher would not be in "Episode IX." Fisher's brother Todd and the actress' daughter Billie Lourd had already given Disney the permission to use recent footage of her for the movie. However, Kennedy stressed that fans should not expect to see Fisher's Leia in "Episode IX."
"Sadly, Carrie will not be in IX," the executive stated. "But we will see a lot of Carrie in VIII."
On another note, recent rumors about "Episode IX" claim that the film will serve as the conclusion for the latest "Star Wars" trilogy. Representatives for Disney or Lucasfilm have yet to address the matter, but many believe it is likely to be true.
When Disney updated its movie slate for the next few years, "Star Wars" was never mentioned for 2020. It could just be an oversight, but some think it is a sign that the movies will not be released annually after 2019.
Since "Star Wars: Episode IX" is still a ways off, fans can watch "Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi," which premieres on Dec. 15.
