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.