Lucasfilm has announced the full cast of Star Wars Episode IX, along with confirmation that the film will feature never-before-seen footage of Carrie Fisher as General Leia Organa.
The cast announcement was made on Friday (July 27), and also confirmed that original cast members Mark Hamill and Billy Dee Williams will be returning as Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian once filming commences on August 1, 2018 at Pinewood Studios in London.
A statement from Star Wars read: "Returning cast members include Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, and Billie Lourd.
"Joining the cast of Episode IX are Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant, who will be joined by veteran Star Wars actors Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, and Billy Dee Williams, who will reprise his role as Lando Calrissian."
One person missing from that cast announcement is director J.J. Abrams' former Felicity star Keri Russell, who was recently reported to have landed an important role in Episode IX.
Abrams' decision to integrate never-before-seen footage of Carrie Fisher as General Leia into the film seems to be a reversal, of sorts, for Lucasfilm, since studio boss Kathleen Kennedy said last year that "Carrie will not be in IX".
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More recently, Carrie's brother Todd publicly campaigned for the studio to reverse its decision by comparing the possibility of Leia appearing in Episode IX to having Yoda cameo in The Last Jedi.
"We desperately loved Carrie Fisher," Abrams said today. "Finding a truly satisfying conclusion to the Skywalker saga without her eluded us. We were never going to recast, or use a CG character.
"With the support and blessing from her daughter, Billie, we have found a way to honor Carrie's legacy and role as Leia in Episode IX by using unseen footage we shot together in Episode VII."
There had also been questions about Mark Hamill's involvement in the film, given that Luke Skywalker passed over into another plane of existence after his confrontation with Kylo Ren in The Last Jedi's climactic battle sequence.
Hamill had relished being coy about working on Episode IX for months, leaving fans to speculate when he shaved off Luke's now-trademark Jedi beard shortly before production was set to begin.
The sequel also brings back Billy Dee Williams as smooth-talking conman Lando Calrissian on the heels of Donald Glover playing a younger version of the character in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Fans sussed Williams had been cast in Episode IX when he pulled out of a convention appearance timed right around when filming was supposed to begin.
Star Wars: Episode IX, to be directed by The Force Awakens' JJ Abrams, will be released on December 20, 2019.
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Justin is a freelance entertainment journalist and writer. He first joined Digital Spy as a freelance entertainment reporter in 2010 and also worked as a sub-editor for the brand, serving as Night News Editor from 2016 to 2024. Over more than a decade, Justin has covered numerous major entertainment events from the US and has interviewed a wide-ranging group of public figures, from comedian Steve Coogan to icons from the Star Trek universe, cast members from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and reality stars from numerous Real Housewives cities and the Below Deck franchise. Justin has also been on the ground to cover major pop culture events like the Star Wars Celebration and the D23 Expo. He's written for titles across the Hearst network, plus the likes of CBR and Us Weekly.
