Editing Princess Leia (section)

==Creation and casting==
Leia was created by ''Star Wars'' creator [[George Lucas]], who in 1999 explained his early development of the main characters:
{{Blockquote|The first [version] talked about a princess and an old general. The second version involved a father, his son, and his daughter; the daughter was the heroine of the film. Now the daughter has become Luke, [[Mark Hamill]]'s character. There was also the story of two brothers where I transformed one of them into a sister. The older brother was imprisoned, and the young sister had to rescue him and bring him back to their dad.<ref>{{cite book |first=Claire |last=Clouzot |chapter=The Morning of the Magician: George Lucas and ''Star Wars'' |title=The George Lucas Interviews |editor1-first=Sally |editor1-last=Kline |location=[[Jackson, Mississippi]] |publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]] |date=1999 |pages=57–58 |isbn=1-57806-125-3}}</ref>}}

The character Princess Leia went through various changes as [[George Lucas]] wrote and refined the ''Star Wars'' screenplay. In one early draft, she is the spoiled teenage daughter of King Kayos and Queen Breha of Aquilae.<ref>{{cite book |first=Laurent |last=Bouzereau |title=Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays |publisher=[[Ballantine Books]]|location=New York City|date=1997|isbn=978-0-345-40981-2}}</ref> In a later version, she is Luke's cousin and the daughter of [[Owen Lars]] and his wife [[Beru Lars|Beru]].<ref>{{cite book |first=Dale |last=Pollock |author-link=Dale Pollock |title=Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas |location=New York City|publisher=Da Capo Press |date=1999 |page=146 |isbn=0-306-80904-4}}</ref> A subsequent story synopsis establishes her as Leia Antilles, the child of [[Bail Antilles]] from the peaceful world of Organa Major. In the fourth draft, she is Leia Organa of Alderaan, which is how she appears in the finished film.<ref name="The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film">{{cite book |first=J. W. |last=Rinzler|title=The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film |publisher=[[LucasBooks]] |location=San Francisco, California|date=2007 |isbn= 978-0-345-49476-4}}</ref>

Carrie Fisher was 19 when she was cast as Princess Leia.<ref name="Guardian Melted">{{cite web |first=Maev |last=Kennedy |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/may/25/star-wars-original-cast-little-melted-episode-vii-carrie-fisher |title=''Star Wars'' original cast looked 'a little melted' for Episode VII – Carrie Fisher |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=London, England |date=May 25, 2014 |access-date=November 15, 2015 |archive-date=September 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220906002420/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/may/25/star-wars-original-cast-little-melted-episode-vii-carrie-fisher |url-status=live }}</ref> She was cast over [[Karen Allen]], [[Glenn Close]], [[Farrah Fawcett]], [[Anjelica Huston]], [[Amy Irving]], [[Jessica Lange]], [[Terri Nunn]], [[Linda Purl]], [[Meryl Streep]] and [[Cindy Williams]].{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<br>
<ref name="casting">{{cite magazine |last=Russo |first=Tom |date= |title=The Force Wasn't With Them |url=http://www.premiere.com/article.asp?section_id=6&article_id=2164 |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060508222750/http://www.premiere.com/article.asp?section_id=6&article_id=2164 |archive-date=May 8, 2006 |access-date=October 3, 2006 |magazine=Premiere}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Miklós |first=Vincze |date=May 5, 2015 |title=Star Wars Audition Tapes Feature a Very Different Original Trilogy Cast |url=https://io9.gizmodo.com/star-wars-audition-tapes-feature-a-very-different-origi-1702308808 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210325055707/https://io9.gizmodo.com/star-wars-audition-tapes-feature-a-very-different-origi-1702308808 |archivedate=March 25, 2021 |access-date=March 4, 2024 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Smith |first=Candace |date=October 21, 2015 |title=''Star Wars'' actress Carrie Fisher turns 59! |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/list-facts-actress-writer-carrie-fisher-article-1.2405759 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220320063819/https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/list-facts-actress-writer-carrie-fisher-article-1.2405759 |archive-date=March 20, 2022 |access-date=December 8, 2015 |work=[[New York Daily News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=December 7, 2015 |title=I'm in a Business Where the Only Things that Matter Are Weight and Appearance |url=http://www.goodhousekeeping.co.uk/lifestyle/gh-women-celebrity-interviews/carrie-fisher |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180913075936/http://www.goodhousekeeping.co.uk/lifestyle/gh-women-celebrity-interviews/carrie-fisher |archive-date=September 13, 2018 |access-date=December 8, 2015 |magazine=[[Good Housekeeping]] |location=New York City}}</ref><ref name="Beast 2015">{{cite news |last=Stern |first=Marlow |date=December 8, 2015 |title=Carrie Fisher's Crazy ''Star Wars'' Ride: Cocaine, the Rolling Stones, and That Slave Bikini |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/08/carrie-fisher-s-crazy-star-wars-ride-cocaine-the-rolling-stones-and-that-slave-bikini.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170504172816/http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/08/carrie-fisher-s-crazy-star-wars-ride-cocaine-the-rolling-stones-and-that-slave-bikini.html |archive-date=May 4, 2017 |access-date=December 8, 2015 |website=[[The Daily Beast]] |publisher=[[IAC (company)|IAC]] |location=New York City}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Rinzer |first=JW |title=The Making of Star Wars |pages=103–105 |year=2007 |place=NY |publisher=Ballantine Books |isbn=978-0-345-47761-3}}.</ref>}} 

[[Jodie Foster]] was offered the role and was almost cast, but ultimately had to turn it down as she was under a contract with Disney, and was obliged to star in the adventure film ''[[Candleshoe]]'' (1977), simultaneously while the first movie was in production.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references:<br>
<ref>{{cite web |last=Variety |date=January 19, 2024 |title=Jodie Foster says she turned down Princess Leia role in 'Star Wars' because of Disney contract |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/jodie-foster-says-turned-princess-leia-role-star-wars-disney-contract-rcna134711 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240121212104/https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/jodie-foster-says-turned-princess-leia-role-star-wars-disney-contract-rcna134711 |archivedate=January 21, 2024 |access-date=January 22, 2024 |work=NBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Blauvelt |first=Christian |date=April 29, 2014 |title=The ''Star Wars'' Screen Tests: Meeting Han, Leia and Luke |url=http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20140429-first-meeting-han-leia-and-luke |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200102160146/http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20140429-first-meeting-han-leia-and-luke |archive-date=January 2, 2020 |access-date=December 8, 2015 |work=[[BBC]] |location=London, England}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=December 1, 2005 |title=The Total Film Interview – Jodie Foster |url=https://gamesradar.com/the-total-film-interview-jodie-foster/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151211043030/http://www.gamesradar.com/the-total-film-interview-jodie-foster/ |archive-date=December 11, 2015 |access-date=December 8, 2015 |website=[[GamesRadar]] |publisher=}}</ref>}}

In his early story development for ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'', Lucas intended for Luke to have a twin sister—not Leia—who would be the focus of another episode.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rinzler |first=J. W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-U0PAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT36 |title=The Making of The Empire Strikes Back |publisher=Del Rey |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-84513-555-3 |location=London |pages=21 |oclc=506251987 |author-link=J. W. Rinzler |access-date=May 9, 2023 |archive-date=May 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230508045131/https://books.google.com/books?id=-U0PAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT36 |url-status=live }}</ref> Following the production of ''Empire'', Lucas was burnt out and decided not to make his planned [[sequel trilogy]]. Needing to explain the identity of the other potential Jedi mentioned by [[Yoda]], Lucas decided that Leia would be revealed as Luke's twin.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Macek III |first=J. C. |date=2015-06-22 |title=Abandoned 'Star Wars' Plot Points Episode IV: A Family that Slays Together Strays Apart |url=https://www.popmatters.com/194139-abandoned-star-wars-plot-points-episode-iv-the-family-that-slays-tog-2495522882.html |access-date=2023-05-09 |website=PopMatters |language=en-US |archive-date=May 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230509230729/https://www.popmatters.com/194139-abandoned-star-wars-plot-points-episode-iv-the-family-that-slays-tog-2495522882.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the second draft of the ''Return of the Jedi'' screenplay, Obi-Wan tells Luke he has a twin sister. She and their mother were "sent to the protection of friends in a distant system. The mother died shortly thereafter, and Luke's sister was adopted by Ben's friends, the governor of Alderaan and his wife."<ref>{{cite book|author=Bouzereau|title=The Annotated Screenplays|date=1997|page=270}}</ref> Fisher explained in 1983: "Leia's real father left her mother when she was pregnant, so her mother married this King Organa. I was adopted and grew up set apart from other people because I was a princess."<ref name="Rolling Stone 1983">{{cite web|last=Caldwell|first=Carol|date=July 21, 1983|title=Carrie Fisher: A Few Words on Princess Leia, Fame and Feminism|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/carrie-fisher-a-few-words-on-princess-leia-fame-and-feminism-19830721|access-date=November 19, 2015|location=New York City|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|archive-date=November 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151108002236/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/carrie-fisher-a-few-words-on-princess-leia-fame-and-feminism-19830721|url-status=live}}</ref>