During a Star Wars panel, Director J.J. Abrams was talking about the production of the latest film, The Rise of Skywalker.
When he mentioned they had extra footage that allowed including a posthumous Carrie Fisher, the lights blinked off and back on, bringing a certain surreal factor to the panel.
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In the middle of describing plans and process for the new Skywalker film, the lights went out. At first, Abrams joked about it, trying to summon the lights to turn off again, much to the audience's amusement.
But then he switched tactics and said:
"Um, that was creepy? Hi, Carrie."
The audience laughed a little, and then Abrams added:
"That's so Carrie, by the way, to do that."
Abrams then moved on to talk more about the making of the film and how they had been sure to maintain Fisher's presence with her family's blessing. Using extra footage they already had on hand, they were able to incorporate her lines.
Abrams noted that, particularly in this film, Carrie was still very much alive and part of the team.
She worked with the team, fulfilling her role as an actress and also editing the film for more than a year before she passed. As they continued to work on the film, they very much had the sense they were still working with her as they continued to interact with all of the work that had been rooted in her decision-making.
Fans were immediately overwhelmed with their anticipation of seeing Carrie Fisher again in a future film and the team's thoughtfulness in including her.
Abrams' open address to Fisher when the lights dimmed struck a nerve with many fans, as well.
And of course, there were a few jokes about how the team reacted when the lights flickered and Abrams greeted Carrie Fisher.
Fans are obviously super excited to see a new installment of Star Wars, particularly with the new direction and potential for more origin stories.
But the references back to a much beloved character and person, using footage taken when Carrie Fisher was still alive, undoubtedly makes the new edition to the series that much sweeter.
For the film that began it all, Star Wars: A New Hope in a steel book edition is available here.
