Age of the Geek

Weekend at Carrie's
     The death of Carrie Fisher still has the geek world reeling, but once the lightsaber tributes are done, there is a nagging question in the back of everybody's mind.
     The show must go on, so what will Fisher's death mean for the future of General Leia Organa?
     While Carrie Fisher barely had a supporting role in Episode VII, with most of the nostalgia focus centered around Harrison Ford's final performance as Han Solo, it is said that Episode VIII and IX planned a meatier roll for General Leia. Particularly centered around reunions with her long lost brother and son. Fisher's death doubtlessly complicates these plans.
     As far as Episode VIII is concerned, Fisher's death probably won't change much. Principal shooting has already been finished for the next Star Wars movie so unless they decide make some sweeping changes to the overall story, I doubt much will need to be altered.
     Episode IX however, is another matter entirely. Without Fisher to continue her role, Lucasfilm has some big decisions to make about how they are going to handle what will almost assuredly be the conclusion of Leia's story.
     The easiest way out would be to simply write her out of the film. Use body doubles and creative camera angles to put her on a spaceship and send her out into the galaxy, never to be seen again in live action. She may even live on in comics and novels to go on future adventures.
     But that would certainly be a loss for the movie's own story. Camera trickery can only take you so far. If Leia is going to be involved in any of the meatier scenes, drastic measures will have to be taken.
     I would like to think that recasting is off the table. Putting another person in Fisher's defining role seems incredibly wrong. Unless they use the CGI option.
     Ironically, the CGI option was already a hot topic of discussion before Fisher's death. "Rogue One" used it to create digital likenesses of Peter Cushing and Carrie Fisher as they appeared in 1977.
     For all intents and purposes, it's still recasting. Guy Henry played Grand Moff Tarkin in "Rogue One." He was just wearing a CGI Peter Cushing mask to do it.
     The moral implications of this technology have yet to be fully explored. Ten years ago a super bowl commercial had Fred Astaire dancing with a vacuum cleaner. The controversial commercial pushed the limits of good taste, but it has nothing on the can of worms that can be opened with today's technology.
     For instance, Hollywood is itching to make a remake of "Casablanca." Remaking a classic movie like that is controversial enough, but what happens when somebody decides to bring Humphrey Bogart back with it? Or have a digital Humphrey Bogart star in a new movie? Are you ready to have Audrey Hepburn show up in a romantic comedy with Will Ferrell?
     In the case of Rogue One, Lucasfilm was on pretty solid moral ground. Carrie Fisher reportedly enjoyed seeing herself, forty years younger, on the big screen again. Peter Cushing likely would have felt the same, seeing as he is said to have enjoyed his part in the original movie and regretted that his character's death prevented him from appearing in the sequels.
     And while I have little doubt that Fisher's family would give their blessing to have a CGI recreation finish off Fisher's part in Episode IX, it's still a morbid thought to think that not even death could keep Disney from making an actor fulfill a contractual obligation.
     I think I would be OK with a CGI Leia, used sparingly, if that's what it takes to bring her story to a fitting conclusion. But this technology is only going to get more advanced and Hollywood isn't known for knowing when to stop.
     Travis Fisher is a news writer for Mid-America Publishing and is only partially CGI.