Yes that James Dean.
Yes I'm fully aware that the Hollywood icon died in a car wreck in 1955. However, never let it be said that Hollywood isn't a magical place where even cinema legends who've been dead for sixty-four years can't make a reappearance.
In an incredibly bizarre development that could only have happened in the 21st century, James Dean (GIANT, EAST OF EDEN) has been cast in the upcoming Vietnam War film FINDING JACK. The film is "based on the existence and abandonment of more than 10,000 military dogs at the end of the Vietnam War." Dean will play a character named Rogan and is being billed as the secondary lead in FINDING JACK, lest you think his role will be relegated to single scene. Dean's performance will be rendered via full body CGI and archival footage and photos. An as yet unnamed actor will provide the voice for James Dean.
The decision to cast a late actor as the Rogan character was no easy decision for directors Anton Ernst and Tati Golykh, and thankfully James' estate has their full support:
"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. 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."
FINDING JACK starts pre-production in a few weeks and is aiming for a Veterans Day release next year which will feature an original song by Oscar nominee Diane Warren (ARMAGEDDON).
This news is…strange…to say the least. I admire the bold swing by Ernst and Golykh but I find it hard to believe that other actors – LIVING actors – couldn't just as easily have portrayed the "complex character arcs" to which the duo refer. While this won't be the first time a late actor has returned to the big screen (actor Peter Cushing's Grand Moff Tarkin made an appearance in 2016's ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY) James Dean is a Hollywood legend. The last thing I want to see is his legacy tarnished because of poor computer graphics. Here's hoping Ernst and Golykh's special effects gurus are up to the task.
So what do you guys think? Are you excited about this prospect? Do you think it's in poor taste? Sound off in the comments below!