'Star Wars' icon Carrie Fisher's last film 'Wonderwell' to release after 7 years

Late American actress Carrie Fisher, best known for her role as Princess Leia from the sci-fi space opera Star Wars franchise, is getting her last movie Wonderwell released after a long wait of seven years.

The actress passed away on December 27, 2016 due to heart failure at the age of 60, though she had already completed her scenes for the fantasy film, six weeks prior to her tragic passing.

As reported by Deadline, the American film distribution company Vertical Entertainment has acquired the rights for a North America and UK/Ireland release for Vlad Marsavin's directorial debut. The film is set for a limited theatrical run via AMC in the U.S. from June 23, 2023, followed by a digital release.

Explaining the reasons behind the delay, the director said: "The journey we have taken as filmmakers with this movie, has been as perilous as that of the movie itself."

He further mentioned, quoted by 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. Carrie was full of energy during filming and even celebrated her 60th birthday with us in Italy where we shot the movie."

"After a night shoot, which went on until 2 a.m., 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," he added.

Boasting a total runtime for 1 hour and 36 minutes, the official synopsis for Wonderwell on IMDb reads: "A coming-of-age fairy tale set between modern-day Italy and an imaginary realm just beyond, Wonderwell follows Violet, a naive and inquisitive 12-year-old-girl, on a thrilling journey that transforms her world forever."

Carrie Fisher was last seen in the Disney Star Wars sequel trilogy film Star Wars: The Last Jedi in 2017, though unused archived footage of her from was used for the final instalment in the sequel Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker which came out in 2019.

She was also seen in the 2020 Netflix documentary film Have a Good Trip: Adventure with Psychedelics where she among a plethora of celebrities spoke of their various experiences with psychedelics.