Disney could receive $50M in insurance money because of Carrie Fisher's death
Disney could get financial compensation for the death of Carrie Fisher.
The company behind "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and all new movies in the franchise put in place an insurance policy on Fisher before she signed a three-picture deal to reprise her role as Princess Leia from the original trilogy in the event that she could not fulfill her contract, according to The Insurance Insider.
After the passing of Fisher on December 27, following a heart attack on a flight four days earlier, the company could receive $50 million.
Fisher starred in "The Force Awakens" and she will also be in the next "Star Wars" film, "Episode VIII," as filming is complete. However, production on "Episode IX" hasn't started yet.
See photos of Carrie Fisher through the years:
There's no word on if Disney has similar policies for "Star Wars" actors Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford.
It is also unclear how the franchise will address Leia in "Episode IX." In the first standalone "Star Wars" movie, "Rogue One," digital effects brought the late Peter Cushing back to the screen to reprise his role as Grand Moff Tarkin from the original 1977 "Star Wars" movie, but Industrial Light and Magic, which created the CG Takin (and a younger version of Fisher as Leia in the movie), has said it doesn't plan to do that sort of effect often.
"We're not planning on doing this digital recreation extensively from now on," John Knoll, chief creative officer of ILM and visual effects supervisor on "Rogue One," said. "It just made sense for this particular movie."
"Star Wars: Episode VIII" opens in theaters December 17, 2017.
Fisher's representatives and Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
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