.@starwars launched 42 years ago. And 24 days from now, the final chapter will be revealed in theaters! We are THRILLED to have director @jjabrams with us this morning - and he's sharing an EXCLUSIVE clip from #TheRiseOfSkywalker! pic.twitter.com/gOfUTGWzpW— Good Morning America (@GMA) November 25, 2019
Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Director J.J. Abrams said on Good Morning America Monday that it would have been impossible to end the Skywalker saga in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker without the late Carrie Fisher.
Fisher, who famously portrayed Leia Organa throughout the Star Wars series, died at the age of 60 in 2016 before filming on The Rise of Skywalker had started.
"Carrie, whom I loved, we needed to have her in the movie somehow," Abrams said before explaining how he is using older footage of the actress to place her into the new film.
"We realized that there were probably five or six scenes that we never used from The Force Awakens. We went back and looked at the footage and realized we could tell the story, we could create scenes with her," he said.
"There are some scenes with her that I think are really moving and it's still impossible for me to believe she's not here," the filmmaker said.
"We've been working with her in the editing room now for almost a year and she's vital, and she's there, she's funny, she's Leia in this movie. It's sort of surreal."
Abrams also showcased an action scene from the film featuring Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac), Chewbacca (Joonas Suotamo) and C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) being chased in the desert by Stormtroopers on vehicles.
The heroes are shocked to discover that the Stormtroopers can now fly using jetpacks.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, is set to hit theaters on Dec. 20.
