Carrie Fisher cremated ahead of Debbie Reynold's burial, while Star Wars plot Leia's future

Carrie Fisher was set to have a larger role in Star Wars Episode IX. Here she attends the premiere of the seventh movie in the franchise. Photo/AP

Carrie Fisher has been cremated in a private ceremony ahead of her mother Debbie Reynold's burial.

The 60-year-old actress stipulated in her will that she wished to be cremated rather than buried, though some of her ashes will be interred alongside her mother's body, according to Entertainment Tonight.

Reynolds will be buried following a private memorial service for the pair on Friday in California. A public service is slated to be held at a later date.

The news comes the same day it was revealed Fisher was going to have a larger role in Star Wars Episode IX.

The Hollywood Reporter says that sources have told them that Fisher's General Leia has two key scenes in Episode VIII out this year, where she reunites with twin Luke Skywalker (Mark Hammill), and confronts her villainous son Kylo Ren (Adam Driver).

These scenes were to lay the ground for a larger role in the ninth movie, which is already being plotted out ahead of its 2019 release date.

Episode IX director, Colin Trevorrow, will fly to Los Angeles next week to discuss options with Star Wars producer Kathleen Kennedy. One possibility is that Fisher is digitally reanimated in order to fill in the scenes.

Disney and Lucasfilm sparked debate after the release of Rogue One last month, when CGI was used to resurrect digitally resurrect General Moff Tarkin, despite actor Peter Cushing being dead for over a decade. A digitally younger version of Fisher was used for a brief shot of Princess Leia.

The studio was revealed to have taken out a huge insurance policy on Fisher should she be unable to finish the film.

However, as well as meeting to plot the future of the series, the source says that the company wants time to grieve as well, telling the website: "People are still deeply mourning Carrie's death over there."

Fisher died December 26 after suffering a heart attack during an international flight. She is survived by her daughter, Billie Lourd.