Update: A statement posted to StarWars.com denies that CGI is still an option, saying, “We don’t normally respond to fan or press speculation, but there is a rumor circulating that we would like to address. We want to assure our fans that Lucasfilm has no plans to digitally recreate Carrie Fisher’s performance as Princess or General Leia Organa.
Carrie Fisher was, is, and always will be a part of the Lucasfilm family. She was our princess, our general, and more importantly, our friend. We are still hurting from her loss. We cherish her memory and legacy as Princess Leia, and will always strive to honor everything she gave to Star Wars.”
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According to Vanity Fair, filmmakers, studio heads, and representatives from the late Carrie Fisher’s estate are still debating how to handle the actress’s death in upcoming Star Wars films. More specifically there is a question as the whether a CGI version of Fisher could appear in Episode IX. As many fans have noted, Rogue One actually includes a cameo from a CGI Fisher, which might lead some to believe that a similar technique could be used for future installments. However, the site also reports that this could be challenging as Fisher’s role of Leia was to have an even larger part in Episode IX than in 2015’s The Force Awakens or the upcoming Episode VIII, which Fisher had already been wrapped on.
Regardless of whether the studio and estate decide to employ CGI or not, it is almost certain that changes will need to be made to the story. That said, it is unclear if the script for Episode IX, which is being worked on by director Colin Trevorrow, is even completed yet. In the meantime, conversations are ongoing and nothing is set in stone just yet.