Thoughts on CGI casting

[Phoenix87x]

So the first time I really started thinking about CGI casting of dead stars was Tarkin in Rogue one. Yeah, it looked off but I didn't really mind it. Tarkin was so tied to the Death Star, that it mades sense for him to be there in some capacity, so I was like yeah its uncanny, but I'll cut them some slack.

Then I saw this story for a new film in production called Finding Jack. They did regular casting auditions, but then just decided to cast James Dean... who's been dead awhile, but all as CGI. Its a completely brand new story and they are casting a dead guy.

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/james-dean-death-cgi-vietnam-war-movie-finding-jack-a9188341.html

Not sure how I feel about it. I'm definitely curious how it turns out though.

How do you guys feel?

[gmillerdrake]

I think the Tarkin scenario was necessary and worked. I’m not sure how I feel about just outright “casting” dead celebrities. Seems unnecessary given the level of talent that is out there now. Let alone I’m not sure the technology is quite there yet to where it wouldnt do anything but distract from the movie. 

[Adami]

Best I can tell, this is just a way to make people talk about a movie that, otherwise, no one would pay even a little attention to.

Now? Everyone will want to see it. Will it suck? Who cares, as long as it makes money from all of us that think it's dumb.

[Zantera]

Generally I'm against it.

[MirrorMask]

It's like holograms at concerts. No thanks.

I can give a pass in situations like the Tarkin one, or if an actor suddenly dies with 95% of his scenes completed. But a brand new movie with a dead person? meh.

[Chino]

There is a time and a place for this kind of technology

For example... raising George Carlin for a few minutes in Bill and Ted Face the Music (I don't think this is actually happening).

[Zantera]

It just feels so cynical and creepy to me. Sure you can have certain scenarios like what happened in Fast & Furious where an actor dies 75% into filming and you have most of what you need but not everything, and I feel in those type of situations it's fine to use some CGI mixed with stunt doubles to kinda get the movie finished and at least put it out there so the fans can enjoy the last project the actor worked on. Something like Rogue One with a 100% CGI character rubbed me the wrong way because to me, they could have written around the fact. You could have told that story without Tarkin being a key character. They could just have had a tiiiiny CGI-hologram Tarkin where he tells Krennic he needs to man up and get the job done "or else" he have to go there himself. Seeing him recreated as CGI was just weird. Kinda same with Leia at the end honestly, you could just have showed her back and it would have been fine.

To me it feels wrong because 10-20 years from now if Mark Hammill is gone they might try to bring back a full CGI Luke Skywalker with some lame excuse like "We know the fans want it", yet the reason they are doing it is entirely for money making purposes trying to cash in on an iconic character in the universe. Do new things!

[MirrorMask]

Kinda same with Leia at the end honestly, you could just have showed her back and it would have been fine.

Well, in that specific situation, I think that ending the movie (which finishes immediately before A New Hope Begins) without showing Leila's face would have just served as a reminder that Carrie Fisher had passed away. Seeing Leila, although a CGI one, was a fitting tribute for Carrie. But of course I understand people not liking it.

[hefdaddy42]

I was OK with the Cushing and Fisher appearances in Rogue One, to a certain extent, because it was bringing actors back who had previously filled those roles, and they made sense within the story.

There is no reason to bring back James Dean for this.  I am against it.

[pg1067]

Here's what I'm waiting for:

Studio casts an unknown CGI "actor" in a movie without disclosing that it's not a real person.  The movie is a hit and the CGI "actor" becomes a star.  Studio covers up that it's not a real person.  Maybe hires someone to pretend to be the CGI "actor."

[MirrorMask]

Here's what I'm waiting for:

Studio casts an unknown CGI "actor" in a movie without disclosing that it's not a real person.  The movie is a hit and the CGI "actor" becomes a star.  Studio covers up that it's not a real person.  Maybe hires someone to pretend to be the CGI "actor."

Sounds like a future Black Mirror episode

[gmillerdrake]

Here's what I'm waiting for:

Studio casts an unknown CGI "actor" in a movie without disclosing that it's not a real person.  The movie is a hit and the CGI "actor" becomes a star.  Studio covers up that it's not a real person.  Maybe hires someone to pretend to be the CGI "actor."

Sounds like a future Black Mirror episode

Not if the writing keeps its current trajectory. #snoozefest

[ariich]

Here's what I'm waiting for:

Studio casts an unknown CGI "actor" in a movie without disclosing that it's not a real person.  The movie is a hit and the CGI "actor" becomes a star.  Studio covers up that it's not a real person.  Maybe hires someone to pretend to be the CGI "actor."

Sounds like a future Black Mirror episode

Didn't that sort of happen already 20 years ago with Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within?

EDIT: Not pretending the person was real, obviously, but I seem to recall some not-very-observant studio people saw the trailers and didn't realise she was CGI and enquired as to her availability for other movies.

[jammindude]

You guys aren't seeing the big picture...


....now we can get more Marilyn Monroe movies.   

[MoraWintersoul]

It's beyond creepy. Who owns the likenesses of these actors - studios, their families? Is there a limit to what greed will do - maybe there's a relative of a dead actress or actor who doesn't give a shit and will approve their CGI porn double? Or, something less sinister if that seems far fetched - maybe an actor didn't want to appear in a certain type of movie or reprise a character, and years after their death, their grandchildren can say "fuck it, we need the money" and approve of it anyway. Today's actors will protect themselves because they know about this, but actors who died many years ago can't. Also, having a world where the hard working actors of today have to compete with dead legends of the screen seems unfair.

[Stadler]

Is this different than the touring "Ronnie James Dio" hologram?   

[lordxizor]

Is this different than the touring "Ronnie James Dio" hologram?   

I think it is. The musician holograms are singing along with the music they're famous for performing while alive. It would be the equivalent of putting a CGI Charlton Heston in a remake of Planet of the Apes or something like that. Which would be odd, but somewhat more acceptable than what they're trying to do now. Putting a CGI James Dean into a movie he never a part of in real life is just odd.