Let the final countdown begin. In a little over a week, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters. Fans will finally get the answers to their many questions about how the franchise will close out the Skywalker Saga after nine episodes and across over 40 years. With the final stretch ahead of us, Lucasfilm has released another TV spot to amp up the anticipation, and this one features another look at Carrie Fisher’s Leia Organa. Check it out:
Between our favorite characters being armed with blue and red lightsabers, and teases of a final showdown between the Resistance, First Order and Palpatine(?) there's a quick flash of Princess Leia in another setting. We’ve previously only seen the general outside with Rey during their heartfelt hug. Give a closer look at what the TV spot revealed below:
It looks like Leia is at a Resistance base and Kelly Marie Tran’s Rose Tico can actually be seen behind her on the left. As we know, the scenes featuring Carrie Fisher’s iconic character have been taken from unused footage from both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. Since Rose Tico doesn’t show up in the franchise until The Last Jedi, this particular shot of Leia could be from the set of Rian Johnson's Star Wars film! On the other hand, maybe it's just some clever splicing into a scene specifically shot for The Rise of Skywalker.
Fans of behind-the-scenes filmmaker will especially be interested to know how Carrie Fisher’s role in The Rise of Skywalker is pulled off. Will it appear seamless to the audience or will we be able to tell how the older footage was dropped into the movie? It’s been revealed that Leia has an exciting new role in the saga: she’s been training Rey how to use the Force since Luke’s death in The Last Jedi.
Before Carrie Fisher died at the age of 60, a long ways out from when The Rise of Skywalker was supposed to begin production, her character’s story was supposed to have a more important role in the film, just as Harrison Ford’s Han Solo and Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker did in the previous films in this trilogy. However, fans will now also get to see the return of Billy Dee Williams’ Lando Calrissian for the first time since Return of the Jedi.
J.J. Abrams recently told CinemaBlend that Carrie Fisher’s role in The Rise of Skywalker is as “profound” in the movie as if she was alive to film more footage for the film. The writer/director said she wasn’t added in the movie just to be there – she has a vital role in the storyline.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker comes to theaters on December 20.
