Love it or loathe it, or even if you’re somewhat indifferent to the online discourse, The Last Jedi will forever be remembered as Carrie Fisher’s last Star Wars performance. And what a send-off it was.
The late, great actress sadly passed away in December of 2016, leaving behind a cinematic legacy that’s practically unrivaled. It’s one that continues to inspire and awe even to this day, as evidenced by Mark Hamill’s heartfelt tribute to his screen sister this past weekend.
Taking to Twitter, the Luke Skywalker actor conceded that it’s bittersweet to be facing his final Star Wars chapter without Carrie Fisher’s Leia Organa by his side (she’ll still appear via the power of editing, mind you). In his eyes, Fisher is irreplaceable, so it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that those initial plans to have Leia resurrected for Star Wars: Episode IX – think of the CG Tarkin from Rogue One – were quietly pushed to one side as the wheels began spinning.
And to offer some support to his Star Wars luminary, FN-2187 himself, John Boyega, rallied around Hamill via Twitter.
First spotted by Heroic Hollywood, Boyega’s rallying call is short and sweet, and serves as a reminder of the tight-knit bond underpinning the franchise’s core cast. Carrie on forever, indeed.
We will get through it dad 💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾 #CarrieOnForever https://t.co/KzN1cAjKNY
— John Boyega (@JohnBoyega) July 29, 2018
As this is the first Star Wars movie to emerge in a world without Carrie Fisher – save for Solo, of course, which was always angled to be a heist-fuelled prequel – it’s only natural that the cast and crew will experience another bout of tangible grief now that Episode IX is bracing for production.
Filming is scheduled for tomorrow, August 1st, in the United Kingdom, and we’ll be keeping one ear to the ground as J.J. Abrams and Chris Terrio’s threequel begins to take shape.
