Much has been written aboutHarrison Ford’s return to theStar Warsfranchise inStar Wars: The Force Awakens, and there’s much hubbub surrounding theabsenceofMark Hamillin the marketing materials, but someone whose presence in the film is also a bit of a mystery is the third piece of the puzzle:Carrie Fisher. The actress returns to reprise her role as Leia, although three decades after the events ofReturn of the Jedi, she’s no longer referred to as “Princess”.
Speaking withEW, directorJ.J. Abramsconfirmed that when we pick up with the character, she’s now General Leia:
“She’s referred to as General,” says director and co-writer J.J. Abrams. “But … there’s a moment in the movie where a character sort of slips and calls her ‘Princess.’”
We’ve seen in the trailers that Leiaappearsto still be with Han Solo, but when asked how the General is handling things when we meet her again, in the midst of the rise of the First Order, she admits things aren’t going well:
“Not easily,” Fisher says, describing Leia as, “solitary. Under a lot of pressure. Committed as ever to her cause, but I would imagine feeling somewhat defeated, tired, and pissed.”
That’s about as much as we get with regards to story hints, but Abrams spoke candidly about the difficultStar Warsshoot, pointing to Fisher as a source of warmth during tough times:
“[The shoot] wasn’t without incident; it wasn’t without difficulty; it wasn’t without tears shed and bones broken and things that could never have been anticipated happening,” Abrams says, referring to the on-set accident that sidelined Ford on only his second day in front of the cameras. “But with everything in the aggregate, it was a truly joyful experience, and I think that that has to do with the fact that people as funny as Carrie Fisher were simply there.”
I’m certainly eager to see not only what Leia is up to inForce Awakens, but where she stands with her relationship with her brother, Luke. We’ll find out whenStar Wars: The Force Awakensopens in theaters on December 18th.
