Back when it was announced that Carrie Fisher's daughter, Billie Lourd, was set to appear with her mother in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, people expected her to potentially play a younger version of Leia in some sort of flashback. That might have proved problematic considering Fisher was 19-years-old during production on Star Wars and Lourd is currently 23-years-old, but those rumors have now been laid to rest.
People has some new images from the upcoming film that includes an exclusive portrait of Lourd in character. Her outfit confirms that she's a member of the Resistance headed up by General Leia - she can also be spotted in scenes from the last trailer alongside the new General - and the hair is a neat wink to Leia's iconic look from the original. Does this mean that the two are perhaps related? Or is she mimicking the style of an inspirational figure in the Resistance?
The young actress did say she's been preparing for this role for a long time. "I made [my mom] watch it [Star Wars] at least once a week – and on special occasions I would make her get in a lightsaber fight with me," Lourd said. "Let's just say the more trained Jedi usually won." It's safe to say, we're pretty jealous of Lourd's childhood.
Directed by JJ Abrams and starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Andy Serkis, Oscar Isaac and Gwendoline Christie, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is released in UK cinemas on December 17, 2015 and opens in US theatres a day later.
Images: People, Lucasfilm
