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James Dean has been “cast” in a new war film (1 Viewer)

Ilov80s

Footballguy
James Dean, who died in a 1955 car crash at the age of 24, is making an unexpected return to the big screen.

The cultural icon, known for Rebel Without a Cause and East of Eden, has been posthumously cast in the Vietnam era action-drama Finding Jack.

While Finding Jack will be live action, The Hollywood Reporter understands that Dean’s performance will be constructed via "full body" CGI using actual footage and photos. Another actor will voice him.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/afm-james-dean-reborn-cgi-vietnam-war-action-drama-1252703

What do we think about this idea of casting  deceased actors into modern movies via CGI?

 
Kal El said:
Makes no sense to me. Just find a different actor.
The director/producer claim they searched all get the globe but couldn’t find the right actor. The claim is that it isn’t a gimmick but Dean is the only actor who has ever acted who could play this part. 

Thats an incredible eye roll from me. Also someone brought up how intense, vulnerable and unpredictable Dean was. Can CGI really capture that?

 
The director/producer claim they searched all get the globe but couldn’t find the right actor. The claim is that it isn’t a gimmick but Dean is the only actor who has ever acted who could play this part. 

Thats an incredible eye roll from me. Also someone brought up how intense, vulnerable and unpredictable Dean was. Can CGI really capture that?
I get that they can make CGI look like him.  But how do they do the voice?  

 
I believe I read voice actor. 
 

This whole thing is extremely weird to me. 
Yes.  Why not just use the guy who's doing the voice?  Very gimmicky.  I don't mind it when it's useful, like with Star Wars or Rogue One.  But this screams total gimmick.

 
Yes.  Why not just use the guy who's doing the voice?  Very gimmicky.  I don't mind it when it's useful, like with Star Wars or Rogue One.  But this screams total gimmick.
Yea a few minutes of Tarkin is one thing to fill a gap in a story that is a follow-up on a prior story. An entire lead in a new movie? Come on. 

 
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Why can’t they use the recordings they have of Dean’s voice somehow? 

Maybe that technology will be coming if they can’t do that yet. 

Eventually you won’t be able to trust any video you see. 

 
The director/producer claim they searched all get the globe but couldn’t find the right actor. The claim is that it isn’t a gimmick but Dean is the only actor who has ever acted who could play this part. 

Thats an incredible eye roll from me. Also someone brought up how intense, vulnerable and unpredictable Dean was. Can CGI really capture that?
That sounds like malarkey to me. There are almost 8 billion people on this rock, they can't find anyone better than a guy who's been dead for 50 years? I know Hollywood's out of ideas, but they're not out of living actors.

 
Here's the IMDB page of Finding Jack's director Anton Ernst.  He doesn't have any directorial credits except for a short in post production.  His South African production company Azari Media has been involved in several films that made it to the screen but none that I ever heard of. 

I give him credit for generating some buzz for Finding Jack.  It remains to be seen if this helps him find funding for his project.  My guess is this one never gets off the ground.

 
It's one thing to CGI a role for a dead actor (Tarkin and Leia in RogueOne). That's creepy enough in and of itself. To actually use digital necromancy to give a dead actor a new role is horrific. 

Sounds about par for the course though for Hollywood.

 
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If we are going to be reaching into the past through CGI to resurrect careers I would like to see a young Rachel Welsh in a full nude three-way with a young Bridgit Bardot and Ann Margaret.  
Not these exact actresses, bit sadly that was a thought I had last night.  "Hmmm what would the implications be for the porn industry..." 

 
Why can’t they use the recordings they have of Dean’s voice somehow? 

Maybe that technology will be coming if they can’t do that yet. 

Eventually you won’t be able to trust any video you see. 
This has already been done actually in Tupac: Resurrection. They sifted through thousands of hours of his music and interviews and manipulated his tone and inflection to have him read out what essentially becomes a video autobiography.

It's pretty cool to watch, and 100% sounds legit like he's there telling it, but I could see how it could be dangerous in the wrong hands.

 
That sounds like malarkey to me. There are almost 8 billion people on this rock, they can't find anyone better than a guy who's been dead for 50 years? I know Hollywood's out of ideas, but they're not out of living actors.
Yeah, I am quite sure it's a publicity stunt and not a genuine casting choice. 

 
This has already been done actually in Tupac: Resurrection. They sifted through thousands of hours of his music and interviews and manipulated his tone and inflection to have him read out what essentially becomes a video autobiography.

It's pretty cool to watch, and 100% sounds legit like he's there telling it, but I could see how it could be dangerous in the wrong hands.
Would be tougher with Dean who only made 3 movies and a small handful of TV appearances where with 2Pac there are thousands and thousands of hours of audio. 

 
I heard digital James Dean got busted for DUI and now they are thinking of recasting the movie.  They are going to use a hologram of his CGI version.

 

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