Hollywood Legend James Dean to be Reconstructed in CGI for Movie

"The family views this as his fourth movie, a movie he never got to make."

CGI Without a Cause

In 1955, Hollywood legend James Dean died in a car crash at the age of 24, but he's going to rise from the dead — in a sense — to make an appearance in an upcoming action drama, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

A computer-generated version of Dean will appear as a secondary lead character in a television adaptation of Gareth Crocker's novel "Finding Jack," a story about the abandonment of more than 10,000 military dogs after the Vietnam War.

"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," co-producer and director Anton Ernst told the Reporter.

Actor Reconstruction

VFX production house Magic City Films obtained the rights to use Dean's image from the James Dean estate.

To recreate the late actor's photorealistic likeness for the movie, a living actor will play Dean during filming. VFX artists will then use archival footage and photos of Dean to reconstruct his entire body. A different actor will voice the character, according to the Reporter.

The filmmakers will likely face a lot of scrutiny for casting Dean in the film, but they're prepared.

"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," Ernst said. "The family views this as his fourth movie, a movie he never got to make. We do not intend to let his fans down."

READ MORE: James Dean Reborn in CGI for Vietnam War Action-Drama (Exclusive) [The Hollywood Reporter]

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