Hollywood has a history of rising stars dying too early. One such star is James Dean, who is perhaps best known for his work in the classic film, Rebel Without a Cause. The cultural icon died at age 24 in a car crash, bring a premature end to a promising career. But if you thought you saw the last of James Dean on the big screen in a brand-new film, you’d be wrong. Mostly.

In an odd move, Dean has been posthumously cast in the Vietnam action-drama film Finding Jack, which is being adapted by Gareth Crocker’s novel of the same name. The story chronicles “the existence and abandonment of more than 10,000 military dogs at the end of the Vietnam War.”

Dean will be “playing” a secondary character named Rogan, and will be brought to life using CGI that is created using footage and photos of the actor. Of course, Dean himself won’t be providing his own voice.

“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,” said co-director Anton. “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.”

If this works out, this could mean the revival of countless other deceased figures.

“Our partners in South Africa are very excited about this, as this technology would also be employed down the line to re-create historical icons such as Nelson Mandela to tell stories of cultural heritage significance,” Ernst continued.

But, like…why?

Is anyone else creeped out by this whole thing?

Don’t forget to share this post on your Facebook wall and with your Twitter followers! Just hit the buttons on the top of this page.

—–

Have you checked out LRM Online’s official podcast feed yet The LRM Online Podcast Network, which includes our flagship podcast Los Fanboys, our premiere podcast Breaking Geek Radio: The Podcast, and our morning show LRMornings? Check it out by listening below. It’s also available on all your favorite podcast apps!

Subscribe on: Apple Podcasts |  Spotify  |  SoundCloud | Stitcher | Google Play

SOURCE: THR