With the advent of CGI technology that allows filmmakers to create complete characters out of thin air, there have been plenty of film fans that have warned of the impending filmmaking apocalypse, where directors will forgo the use of real actors in favor of digital copies. Will Smith, who was digitally copied for “Gemini Man,” has joked about such a future. Well, for those that are worried that CGI is going to take over filmmaking, you probably shouldn’t read about the upcoming project “Finding Jack.”
According to THR, directors Anton Ernst and Tati Golykh have cast James Dean in a role in their upcoming Vietnam War film, “Finding Jack.” No, we don’t mean there’s a new actor that uses the name James Dean. We mean, the Hollywood icon, James Dean. Thanks to the use of CGI, the directors plan on using real footage and digital trickery to make a “realistic” James Dean that will star as a character named Rogan in the film.
“Finding Jack” is based on the Gareth Crocker novel of the same name, adapted by Maria Sova, and tells the story of the existence and abandonment of more than 10,000 military dogs during the Vietnam conflict. Dean’s Rogan character is described as a “secondary lead” in the film.
“We searched high and low for the perfect character to portray the role of Rogan, which has some extremely complex character arcs, and after months of research, we decided on James Dean,” said Ernst.
He added, “We feel very honored that his family supports us and will take every precaution to ensure that his legacy as one of the most epic film stars to date is kept firmly intact. The family views this as his fourth movie, a movie he never got to make. We do not intend to let his fans down.”
Yes, this is likely just a publicity stunt for a film that wouldn’t normally get headlines. However, depending on how this turns out, we could be looking at an experiment with pretty incredible, if not frightening, consequences. If Ernst and Golykh are able to realistically bring Dean back to life for their film, then who knows what’s next?
Let’s just hope its better than what Lucasfilm attempted to do in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” with its CGI Leia and Grand Moff Tarkin characters. Those were terrifying for all the wrong reasons.
