James Dean is Back, but Not for Good
James Dean is set to ‘star’ in a new Hollywood movie, with the controversial help of computer generated imagery (CGI). The movie is predicted to be released on November 11, 2020.
Directed by Anton Ernst and Tati Golykh, this project comes from the filmmakers’ own production house Magic City Films, which obtained the rights to use Dean’s image from his family. Dean, who died aged 24 in a car crash, 64 years ago, will have his role re-created using old photos and videos of him.
The movie will draw inspiration from the historical fiction novel, Finding Jack, which follows a young, depressed boy who joins the war in Vietnam. However, during one of his early missions, he rescues a wounded dog and nurses it back to health – reviving his own will to live, in the process.
What was the rationale behind a CGI-inspired James Dean?
CGI will be used to cast Dean as Rogan, one of the main actors in the movie. “We searched high and low for the perfect character to portray the role of Rogan, which has some extreme complex character arcs, and after months of research, we decided on James Dean,” said Ernst.
However, the move to use CGI has caused plenty of controversy in the film industry. Chris Evens called it “awful” and Elijah Wood tweeted “NOPE”. Ernst though, stood by his stance to ‘cast’ Dean in this Magic City Films’ production. He sees this as a way to keep Dean’s memory alive, while also inspiring the next-generation of viewers to take note of one of Hollywood’s greatest actors.
Hollywood has also come under heavy scrutiny recently, following another incident where Robert De Niro was digitally de-aged in Martin Socrose’s The Irishman, which also features yesterday’s blockbusters stars, including Al Pacino and Joe Pesci.
While the jury remains out in the ethical responsibility of directors and producers, Dean’s CGI-inspired role will have a massive influence on the future of the film industry. We might as well brace ourselves for the umpteenth installment of Fast & Furious, featuring Paul Walker cruising in an American muscle alongside Bigge and Tupac.
Source: Vice News
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