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Carrie Fisher back as Princess Leia? Hmm, not so fast

The actress's rep tells CNN she was just joking when she confirmed she'll be returning to the role that made her famous.

Lance Whitney Contributing Writer
Lance Whitney is a freelance technology writer and trainer and a former IT professional. He's written for Time, CNET, PCMag, and several other publications. He's the author of two tech books--one on Windows and another on LinkedIn.
Lance Whitney
2 min read
Lucasfilm Ltd.

There seems to be a great disturbance in the Force.

Was Carrie Fisher pulling fandom's collective legs when she said she'd be returning to the Star Wars universe to reprise her role as Princess Leia?

In a recent interview with Palm Beach Illustrated, Fisher gave a simple "yes" when asked to confirm if she'll be putting on the buns and bikini in the next Star Wars trilogy. Fisher joked that Leia would be elderly and living in an intergalactic old folks' home but said the princess would "be just like she was before, only slower and less inclined to be up for the big battle."

A publication called Palm Beach Illustrated doesn't seem like the ideal venue to break such news. But Fisher appeared to give a straightforward answer to the question, albeit sprinkled with her usual sardonic sense of humor.

However, Fisher's representative may have doused the hopes of Star Wars fans, telling CNN yesterday that she was just joking. "Nothing has been announced," the rep explained.

Does this mean the princess won't be leaving her intergalactic old folks' home for more adventures in a galaxy far, far away?

Fisher, Harrison Ford, and Mark Hamill have all been approached by Geoge Lucas about reprising their roles from the original trilogy, according to Hamill. Rumors have surfaced that Ford would once again pick up the blaster as Han Solo.

But nothing appears to be official at this point. That certainly doesn't rule out a return of the original cast. All three could very well be interested but simply have yet to sign on the dotted line.

A representative for Lucasfilm was mum about any casting news in the following statement sent to CNET:

Even though there are a few reports out there about casting for Episode VII, we are not making any announcements at this time. As Yoda said, "Always in motion is the future."

The new Star Wars saga is scheduled to land in theaters in 2015 with Episode VII. Episodes VIII and IX will follow to complete the triology.

The studio is also eyeing additional films that may focus on individual characters. J.J. Abrams, who directed the latest two Star Trek movies, has already been tapped to helm Episode VII.

Update, 10:30 a.m. PT: Adds response from Lucasfilm.