Carrie Fisher Will Be In Star Wars: Episode 9, Brother Says [UPDATE]

[UPDATE] Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has confirmed that Carrie Fisher will not be in Episode IX.

The original story is below.

Following the passing of Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher in December, Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy and Star Wars: Episode IX director reportedly met to discuss how to move forward. Now, Fisher's brother, Todd Fisher, said that Fisher will appear as Leia in 2019's Star Wars: Episode IX.

He and Carrie Fisher's daughter, Billie Lourd, gave the go-ahead to Disney to use "recent footage" of Fisher in Episode IX, Todd said.

"Both of us were like, 'Yes, how do you take her out of it?' And the answer is you don't," Todd Fisher told the New York Daily News. "She's as much a part of it as anything and I think her presence now is even more powerful than it was, like Obi Wan--when the saber cuts him down he becomes more powerful. I feel like that's what's happened with Carrie. I think the legacy should continue."

Leia will appear in this year's Star Wars: The Last Jedi; filming finished before Fisher's passing. According to a previous report, Leia is to play a larger role in Episode IX than The Last Jedi, though specifics about her reportedly planned scenes in those movies are unavailable.

In January this year, Lucasfilm released a statement to say that it has "no plans to digitally recreate Carrie Fisher's performance as Princess or General Leia Organa."

"Carrie Fisher was, is, and always will be a part of the Lucasfilm family," the statement continued. "She was our princess, our general, and more importantly, our friend. We are still hurting from her loss. We cherish her memory and legacy as Princess Leia, and will always strive to honor everything she gave to Star Wars."