In a Galaxy Far, Far Away, Jodie Foster Played Princess Leia in Star Wars

Updated:

Jan 18, 2024 5:50 pm

Posted:

Jan 18, 2024 5:47 pm

Jodie Foster might have played Princess Leia in Star Wars instead of Carrie Fisher, as the Freaky Friday and The Silence of the Lambs star has revealed she was offered the role first but turned it down.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Foster said on NBC’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon she was offered the role of Leia when she was pitched as a younger character, aged just 13 or 14.

“I was [offered the role], yeah,” Foster said. “They were going for a younger Princess Leia but I had a conflict. I was doing a Disney movie and I just didn’t want to pull out of the Disney movie because I was already under contract.”

Ranking the Star Wars Movies From Worst to BestFoster would have been 13 or 14 during filming of the original film, now called Star Wars: Episode 4 – A New Hope, compared to Fisher who was 19. It’s unclear which Disney film caused Foster to turn down the role, though it’s perhaps 1976’s Freaky Friday.

Regardless, she seemingly has no regrets giving up the role. “They did an amazing job,” Foster said of Lucasfilm and the original Star Wars cast. “I don’t know how good I would have been. I might have had different hair. I might have gone with a pineapple.”

Star Wars, of course, has grown into one of the most popular franchises of all time, and somewhat ironically is now owned by Disney. Though there hasn’t been a film release since Star Wars: Episode 9 – The Rise of Skywalker in 2019, Disney currently has eight films in the works.

This includes a trilogy from Star Wars: Episode 8 – The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson, one from Thor Ragnarok director Taika Waititi, another from The Mandalorian and Ahsoka’s Dave Filoni, and one from Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny director James Mangold.

Sequel Trilogy star Daisy Ridley is also set to return as Rey Skywalker in a movie directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, taking place 15 years after Star Wars: Episode 9 – The Rise of Skywalker.

And if that’s not enough, another Star Wars film was announced in January 2024. The Mandalorian & Grogu comes from Jon Favreau and will go into production later in the year.

None of these have actual premiere dates, though Disney has three Star Wars films on its schedule. It’s unclear which will be which, but these films are set for May 22, 2026, followed by December 18, 2026 and December 17, 2027.

Image Credit: Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.