64 years after his death, CGI of James Dean to star in new film

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Thursday, November 7, 2019
Actor James Dean died 64 years ago but his CGI stars in new film
"The Rebel Without a Cause" actor James Dean died 64 years ago, but he is being brought to life through CGI in a new Vietnam War film, "Finding Jack."

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- American actor James Dean died in a car crash at 24 in 1955, but is expected to be resurrected on the big screen.

The actor best known for "The Rebel Without a Cause" and "East of Eden" was casted in a new film about the Vietnam War.

Filmmakers behind the independent film, "Finding Jack" say Dean will appear through computer-generated imagery, also known as CGI.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, film directors Anton Ernst and Tati Golykh secured the rights to use Dean's image from his family. A digital James Dean will be assembled through old footage and photos, then voiced by another actor.

Several actors, such as Chris Evans and Elijah Woods, are saying this is a bad idea.

In a tweet, Evans said: "I'm sure he'd be thrilled.This is awful. Maybe we can get a computer to paint us a new Picasso. Or write a couple new John Lennon tunes. The complete lack of understanding here is shameful."

Woods retweeted the news with: "NOPE. this shouldn't be a thing."

The upcoming action film is based on Gareth Crocker's book and Dean is set to portray the character Rogan.