Seven years after her death in 2016, Carrie Fisher’s final film, Wonderwell, is getting released.
The ever-popular Star Wars star passed away just six weeks after filming Wonderwell, a fantasy adventure set between contemporary Italy and a magical realm.
“The journey we have taken as filmmakers with this movie, has been as perilous as that of the movie itself,” director Vlad Marsavin told Deadline. “From filming to screen it has taken us seven years. The visual effects on a movie of this magnitude takes time, but we were challenged with Covid lockdowns and of course the passing of our wonderful Carrie Fisher. Now is the perfect time to share her magical on-screen moments as Hazel.”
Wonderwell, which includes a dedication to Fisher, is set for a limited theatrical release on June 23, 2023.
Wonderwell stars Fisher as the enigmatic Hazel. It's the first movie to star Fisher since Star Wars: The Last Jedi and marks her final performance on the big screen.
According to Marsavin, visual effects troubles caused the film to be delayed, resulting in the seven-year production time on his directorial debut.
“Carrie was full of energy during filming and even celebrated her 60th birthday with us in Italy where we shot the movie,” Marsavin said. “After a night shoot, which went on until 2am, she invited the whole team to celebrate with her and the party ended up being shut down by the police because it was deemed a little too loud. Her passing was very emotional for the whole team.”
Although Fisher had completed filming for The Last Jedi before her death, unused footage from Star Wars: The Force Awakens was later used for her return in The Rise of Skywalker.
“Working alongside Carrie Fisher was one of those experiences that you never forget,” said co-star, Rita Ora. “I can’t wait for the world to see this intriguing and magical world of Wonderwell.”
IGN’s review of Star Wars: The Last Jedi gave it 9.7/10 and said: “Star Wars: The Last Jedi is the quintessential Star Wars movie. It embraces everything in the franchise that came before while taking big risks to push the story into new and unexpected places. While there are a few subplots that weigh it down in the middle, everything ultimately works toward delivering an absolutely stunning sequence of events that make its emotionally rich ending a possibility.”
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Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.