Movie Legend James Dean To Return For New Film, 65 Years After His Death

Some of the biggest developments in movie CGI over the past few years have been manipulating and recreating realistic human faces and bodies. The incredible mocap of the Planet of the Apes movies and the de-aging technology used in films such as Captain Marvel and The Irishman have truly pushed what is possible on-screen. But perhaps the most controversial use of new technology was in bringing the late Peter Cushing back to the screen for the 2016 Star Wars spin-off Rogue One. It's now been reported that acting legend James Dean is set to join Cushing in making an unexpected return to theaters.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dean will "co-star" in the Vietnam War-era drama Finding Jack. Dean died in a car accident back in 1955 at the age of 24, but will be resurrected using CGI based on footage and photos of the icon. The movie is produced by Magic City Films, who recently secured the rights to use Dean's image from his family.

The movie tells the story of a man who sets out to rescue some of the thousands of military dogs that were abandoned after the Vietnam War ended. Dean will appear in a supporting role, and the movie will be directed by Anton Ernst and Tati Golykh, with VFX houses Imagine Engine and MOI Worldwide handling the extensive effects work. The movie is set to start pre-production this month, but no release date has been announced yet.

Speaking to THR, Ernst said: "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."

Dean is best known for the movies Rebel Without a Cause and East of Eden. He was one of the biggest movie stars of the early '50s, but was killed in September 1955 when he crashed his car while travelling to a racing event in California.