Star Wars: Episode VIII Predicted to Have an Even Larger Viewership Following the Death of Carrie Fisher

Star Wars actress, writer and mental health advocate Carrie Fisher was one of the many victims of 2016. Passing away at age 60, Fisher's death stunned the world. Star Wars fans all over grieved the loss of the Star Wars universe's spunkiest and most sharp-witted princess, worrying what would happen to the franchise now that General Organa is gone from the Earth. Will LucasFilm and Disney decide to have her mocked up in CGI? Will they recast her part? Will they ease her character out with an exiting story? What's for certain is that Fisher's death will make next year's Star Wars 8 even bigger than before.

Though the future of Leia Organa remains highly uncertain after Fisher's passing away, Forbes predicts that the iconic actress' death will push Star Wars: Episode VIII even higher up the charts. The trends show that death of actors before the releases of films don't necessarily harm the reception of films – in a few cases the death of actors actually help them. Heath Ledger's death before the release of The Dark Knight resulted in massive viewership of the film while Paul Walker's death changed viewer's perception of Furious 7.

According to the publication, Star Wars: Episode VIII will most likely become a memorial to Fisher and in turn will add to the anticipation of the Force Awakens sequel. If Star Wars fans had a great difficulty accepting the death of Harrison Ford's character, Han Solo, then they'd find it difficult to accept the actual death of Leia's actress as well, pouring in to see Star Wars: Episode VIII to honor the actress. The Force Awakens sequel won't just be a sequel anymore – to fans it will be a celebration of Carrie Fisher.

Star Wars: Episode VIII is slated for release in Dec. 15, 2017.

Read: Elite Dangerous to Pay Homage to Carrie Fisher in 2017 Update