Star Wars: A mysterious Carrie Fisher note convinced JJ Abrams that she was fated to appear in Episode IX

Use of previously unseen footage, will see late actor appear in The Rise of Skywalker

Carrie Fisher was “fated” to appear in the forthcoming Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, even though she died long before shooting began, director JJ Abrams has revealed.

Although she died almost three years ago, footage filmed for 2015’s The Force Awakens will allow her character Princess Leia to appear in the conclusion to the latest trilogy in the series.

Her inclusion in The Rise of Skywalker helped explain an ambiguous message he read from her years prior to her death, Abrams told the audience at the D23 Disney convention in Annaheim, California.

Fisher had mentioned him in a note at the back of her 2016 memoir The Princess Diarist, he said, as reported by CNet journalist Cait Petrakovitz. It read “special thanks to JJ Abrams for putting up with me twice”.

At the time of the book's publication, he had only directed the actor once, so it felt “fated” that they would work together in some capacity again in the future, he said.

In a separate interview with Entertainment Tonight, Abrams also revealed that there were no discussions about recasting or using CGI to replicate her part.

“We actually realised there was footage we could use, that we could literally write scenes around and suddenly have as an active part of this movie and she’s great in the film,” he said.

He added, “And still, maybe now more than ever, it’s impossible to me that she’s gone because she’s so alive in the film. We don’t know how to do it without her and so having her be a part of the movie in a way that I think she’d be proud of is very meaningful.”

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be released in December.