3:56
— Star Wars (@starwars) April 14, 2019
Abrams said secrecy will be on an all-time high because of the previous standalone \"Star Wars\" films that have come in recent years: \"We didn't want to get lost in that.\"
\"It's kind of better to wait for the right moment,\" he said of dropping both the trailer and name at Star Wars Celebration this weekend in Chicago to fans' delight.
Abrams, who is coming back to the helm after directing \"The Force Awakens\" four years ago, said he almost didn't sign on board to oversee the last film.
A look at the cast of Star Wars: #TheRiseofSkywalker from #StarWarsCelebration Chicago.
— Star Wars (@starwars) April 14, 2019
📷 by @visionelie pic.twitter.com/kyOCHoevGe
\"I was surprised at how emotional I was about it,\" he told \"GMA.\" \"I didn't know I was going to want to help bring to a close this thing we started with 'Episode VII.'\"
After thinking about it, \"it was just too good of an opportunity to refuse,\" he added.
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/GMA/star-wars-abc-er-190415_hpMain_4x3t_384.jpg\")
A big topic of discussion is Carrie Fisher's final appearance as Leia, using footage never seen from \"The Force Awakens.\" She died suddenly in 2016 after having filmed \"The Last Jedi.\"
\"We realized, we could not tell the story without her,\" Abrams said. \"There had been a number of scenes, we filmed and had not used for 'Episode VII.' I compiled the footage and watched it. It was like finding this impossible answer to this impossible question.\"
He continued, \"So when she's in the movie it's her,\" not CGI, which the director has said was never an option.
Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy also spoke to \"GMA\" and called \"The Rise of Skywalker\" the \"epitome of good versus evil.\"
\"There's a lot of conflict in this movie, but I think where it goes and the resolution is very hopeful,\" she added. \"I think it will absolutely live up to the hype.\"
ABC News and Lucasfilm are both part of parent company Disney.
","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/GMA/Culture/star-wars-rise-skywalker-director-decision-carrie-fisher/story?id=62405027","legacySlug":"/culture/story/star-wars-rise-skywalker-director-decision-carrie-fisher-62405027","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"14:28","publishDate":"04-15-2019","updatedTime":"15:36","updatedDate":"04-15-2019","socialImage":{"alt":"Carrie Fisher and Ken Leung appear in a scene from \"Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens.\"","credit":"Lucasfilm","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/Entertainment/carrie-fisher-ht-jpo-171204_hpMain_2_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"4/15/2019 14:28:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":62405027,"headline":"'Star Wars' director on using old Fisher footage","mediaAssetTitle":"rothman_starwars_cast_190415","description":"\"We could not tell the story without her,\" he said.","duration":"3:56","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/04/190415_gma_faris_fix_741_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["135219568","135145820","134977845"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"July 30, 2026","headline":"US launches new retaliatory strikes on Iran after attack on US forces","section":"News","slug":"/video/135219568","id":"135219568","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: US launches new retaliatory strikes on Iran after attack on US forces","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: US launches new retaliatory strikes on Iran after attack on US forces","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260730_gma_scott_iran3_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"July 28, 2026","headline":"Tornadoes touch down as severe storms sweep East","section":"News","slug":"/video/135145820","id":"135145820","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Tornadoes touch down as severe storms sweep East","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Tornadoes touch down as severe storms sweep East","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260728_gma_perez_tornadoes2_703_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"July 22, 2026","headline":"Malcolm-Jamal Warner's widow sues his mother after drowning death","section":"News","slug":"/video/134977845","id":"134977845","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Malcolm-Jamal Warner's widow sues his mother after drowning death","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Malcolm-Jamal Warner's widow sues his mother after drowning death","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260722_gma_norwood_warner1_734_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"'Star Wars' director on using old Fisher footage","description":"\"We could not tell the story without her,\" he said.","duration":"3:56","uploadDate":"04-15-2019","publication":"04-15-2019","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/04/190415_gma_faris_fix_741_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2019/04/190415_gma_faris_fix_741_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/story/star-wars-rise-skywalker-director-decision-carrie-fisher-62405027"}},"playlist":[{"id":"135320517","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135319709","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135222489","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135236246","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135259626","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135189298","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135195168","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134926667","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"135120534","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134959102","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134910526","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134846473","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134848966","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134761751","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134787741","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134782596","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134741027","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134751717","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134708317","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"134548164","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:culture:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"culture","title":"'Star Wars' director on using old Fisher footage","pubTime":"10:28","pubDate":"04-15-2019","modTime":"11:36","modDate":"04-15-2019","taxonomyTags":"none","id":62405027,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"'Star Wars' director on using old Fisher footage","mediaAssetTitle":"rothman_starwars_cast_190415","videoId":62405027,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/culture/story/star-wars-rise-skywalker-director-decision-carrie-fisher-62405027"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/62405027","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/62405027","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};