One of the more touching scenes inThe Rise of Skywalkertrailer comes when Carrie Fisher is seen hugging Daisy Ridley. Fisher’s Leia is hugging Ridley’s Rey and whispering something in her ear, but we can’t make out what it is. As for what she said in that whisper, Ridley has revealed exactly what it was and it definitely won’t be making the movie. In typical Fisher fashion, what she said might raise the rating onRise of Skywalker.
WhileThe Rise of Skywalkerscene looks like a very touching and tender moment, it wasn’t that way on the set. When asked about whatCarrie Fishertold her, Daisy Ridley remembered right away. And it’s probably something Mark Hamill could probably have predicted if he were asked about it without prompting.Daisy Ridleyexplains.
“She was actually whispering, ‘This is a f*cking long hug.’ I was trying to do my acting, like, ‘Oh my god, Carrie!’ There wasn’t any discussion about what we were gonna do.”
Carrie Fisher cussing in Daisy Ridley’s ear is exactly what one would think she was up to. However, the footage in question wasn’t shot forThe Rise of Skywalker.Carrie Fisher sadly passed away in late 2016, so the scene is actually left over from 2015’sThe Force Awakens. When asked about that particular day, Ridley remembers it like it was yesterday and how it compares to the new story. She had this to say about remembering the hugging scene with Fisher.
“I do! It’s not a million miles away from what this scene is. It was very sad. I found it very moving to watch it, because I do remember the original. And it’s a strange thing to do, for someone that’s not around anymore to be brought back to life. It’s eerie that it resonates so much with what the story is this time. It’s pretty amazing.”
J.J. Abrams and Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedywere adamant about not using CGI to include Carrie Fisher inThe Rise of Skywalker. With that being said, they did wanted to keep her in theStar Warsfranchise and pay tribute to her at the same time. Thankfully, there was enough leftover and unused footage fromThe Force Awakensto give her a meaningful part in the final movie in the Skywalker saga.
As for actually taking the older footage of Carrie Fisher and using it forThe Rise of Skywalker, that could not have been an easy task. J.J. Abrams and crew set themselves up with a pretty tough challenge right from the start, but it appears they were able to do it with relative ease, thanks to technology and the acting performances that were already there. The interview with Daisy Ridley was originally conducted byVulture.
