Hollywood icon James Dean is due for a cinematic resurrection after it was announced the actor has been “cast” in a Vietnam war drama about military dogs.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, directors Anton Ernst and Tati Golykh have acquired the rights to use the image of the actor – who died in 1955 – from his family in an adaptation of Gareth Crocker’s novel, Finding Jack. The novel follows a soldier who bonds with a labrador called Jack during the conflict, but is ordered to leave the dog behind, along with thousands of others, when the US military pulls out.

The film-makers will use pre-existing film and photographs to create a “full body” CGI version of Dean, with another actor providing his voice.

Ernst told the Hollywood Reporter: “We searched high and low for the perfect character to portray the role … which has some extreme complex character arcs, and after months of research, we decided on James Dean.”

“We feel very honoured 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 died aged 24 in 1955 after crashing his Porsche Spyder in California, having completed three lead roles in major films: East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant, the last two of which were released posthumously.