The future is now, it appears, and the inevitable has happened.James Dean, an iconic movie star who died in 1955 at the age of 24, has been cast in a new Vietnam-era action film calledFinding Jack. You read that right. It was announced today that Dean will be digitally resurrected via “full body CGI” using actual footage and photos of the actor, allowing him to play a role in the film. Essentially it’s a Deep Fake come reality.
The film is based on the novel of the same name and revolves around the abandonment of more than 10,000 military dogs at the end of the Vietnam War. Dean will play what is described as a secondary role in the film.
Digital versions of actors aren’t necessarily uncommon. What Hollywood calls “digital doubles” are often used in action movies to prevent actors/stunt people from attempting dangerous stunts or to allow for dizzying acrobatics that are humanly impossible. Pretty much every time you see Iron Man in his suit in most MCU movies, that’s a digital double. The final battle inThe Avengerswhere characters are flying around, jumping on alien motorbikes? Digital doubles.
But using technology to resurrect a dead actor for a performance is fairly new ground. It happened inRogue Onewith Grand Moff Tarkin, who was played in the originalStar WarsbyPeter Cushing—an actor who is now deceased. Digital technology was also used to bring young Princess Leia back at the end ofRogue One, using old footage from the originalStar Wars.
David Fincherpushed the limits of a realistic digital character inThe Curious Case of Benjamin Buttonbefore it was commonplace, and just this yearWill Smithplayed oppositea completely digital versionof himself inGemini Man—that wasn’t just some digital makeup that brought young Will Smith to life in that film, asAng Leeinstead wanted to create a fully digital character from the ground up.
Finding Jackis being directed byAnton ErnstandTati Golykh, who obtained the rights to use Dean’s image from his family. Ernst and Golykh will be producing through their production house Magic City Films, while Imagine Engine will be working alongside South African VFX company MOI Worldwide to bring James Dean back to life.
In a complete and total sign of not getting it, agent for the James Dean family hopes this film will spur others to bring other dead movie stars back to life via digital technology:
Mark Roesler, CEO of CMG Worldwide (www.CMGworldwide.com), the business agent for the family of James Dean said, “With the rapidly evolving technology, we see this as a whole new frontier for many of our iconic clients. This opens up a whole new opportunity for many of our clients who are no longer with us.”
Added Ernst: “Our partners in South Africa are very excited about this, as this technology would also be employed down the line to re-create historical icons such as Nelson Mandela to tell stories of cultural heritage significance.”
Running through my head in all of this is the iconicJurassic Parkline from Ian Malcolm: “Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.”
