Thousands sign petition for Meryl Streep to play Princess Leia in 'Star Wars IX'
Could Meryl Streep take over the role of Princess Leia from the late Carrie Fisher?
Well if Star Wars fans have their way, then maybe she could.
An online petition is gathering support for the Oscar-winning star to take on the part, following Fisher’s death in 2016, soon after she finished working on Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
At the time of writing, the petition had received almost 10,000 signatures.
“With three Oscar wins and twenty nominations (probably twenty-one by next year), her achievement in acting has long been recognised,” the creators of the petition appeal.
Meryl Streep and Carrie Fisher pic.twitter.com/Ie5BD7YI8j
— skywalker (@tolkienianjedi) March 5, 2018
“As a close friend of Carrie Fisher, Meryl Streep may have huge ton of pressure to played Leia.
“However, we strongly believe that she is the best hope for us to see the legacy of Carrie Fisher in Episode IX.
“As the fans of STAR WARS and Carrie Fisher, we really want Leia to shine in Episode IX and we certainly do not want her to be written out of the film abruptly without a reasonable plot.
“Therefore, recasting Leia is a more ideal option for us and we believe that Meryl Streep is an ideal candidate to play Leia.”
The petition, addressed to ‘Lucasfilm, Walt Disney Studios, Ms. Kathleen Kennedy and Mr. J.J.Abrams’, also refers to Streep and Fisher’s close friendship.
Streep starred in Postcards From The Edge, based on Fisher’s semi-autobiographical novel of the same name in, directed by Mike Nichols in 1990, and they were pals off-screen too.
The star of movies like Silkwood and The Devil Wears Prada, delivered a eulogy at the memorial service for Fisher and her mother, the actress Debbie Reynolds, who died just days apart.
So far she’s not commented on the petition, but it won’t stop fans signing up.
Some fans are less keen on the prospect, however.
Any Star Wars fan that wants Meryl Streep to replace Leia in Episode IX, you ain’t a real fan. No one can replace the princess and her likeness. I’d rather have her as a CGI like in Rogue One instead of seeing someone else step into such an iconic role
— TheJMAZA (@TheJMAZA) March 30, 2018
Oh, did someone order a terrible idea? Well, it’s arrived: https://t.co/sxDDeBsABO
— Dave Schilling (@dave_schilling) March 29, 2018
Just heard that some star wars fans are petitioning to get Meryl Streep to play princess Leia in the next film, not gonna lie shes a great actress and everything but Carrie Fisher was a legend and there's only one Leia please for God sake let her legacy stay in one peace leave it
— Matty walker (@mwalkermusic1) April 2, 2018
Leia was said to play a central role in the next Star Wars movie, currently in production and being helmed by J.J. Abrams, so the plot will likely have already been seriously re-worked, were that that case.
It’s due out in December, 2019.
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