A CGI version of James Dean has been cast as a secondary lead in the upcoming Vietnam War movie , Finding Jack .

. The directors and studio received permission from Dean’s family to use his image, however, many do not think it is okay to use an actor in a film posthumously.

Stars like Chris Evans and Zelda Williams condemned the use of James Dean in this manner, seeing as there is no way to know if Dean would actually want to be in this movie. This started a widespread online discussion on the practice of using CGI to bring stars who have passed onto screens.

James Dean Cast in Film

Critics are speaking out against James Dean being cast in a movie⁠—60 years after his death.

Directors Anton Ernst and Tati Golykh are partnering on the film Finding Jack, which is based on a novel of the same name. It will follow a man who is forced to abandon an injured dog he met while serving in Vietnam. The film is being produced by Magic City Films and Dean is set to play the secondary lead in the story.

Dean suffered an untimely death in 1955 after a car accident in northern California at the age of 24. According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Dean’s performance will be constructed via “full body” CGI using actual footage and photos. Another actor will voice him.”

Dean’s family gave the studio permission to use his image for the film.

“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 in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “The family views this as his fourth movie, a movie he never got to make. We do not intend to let his fans down.”

Ernst also said that they did look at other casting options, but ultimately landed on Dean.

“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,” he added.

Actors and Others Upset by the News

The concept of casting someone in a film posthumously did not sit well with many in the industry. Zelda Williams, daughter of the late Robin Williams, said it sets an “awful precedent for the future of performance.” In fact, Robin Williams’ family restricted the use of his image for at least 25 years after his death in 2014.

I have talked to friends about this for YEARS and no one ever believed me that the industry would stoop this low once tech got better. Publicity stunt or not, this is puppeteering the dead for their ‘clout’ alone and it sets such an awful precedent for the future of performance. https://t.co/elS1BrbDGv — Zelda Williams (@zeldawilliams) November 6, 2019

Big-name actors also joined the conversation. Avengers star Chris Evans called the decision “awful.”

I’m sure he’d be thrilled 🙄



This is awful.



Maybe we can get a computer to paint us a new Picasso. Or write a couple new John Lennon tunes.



The complete lack of understanding here is shameful. https://t.co/hkwXyTR4pu — Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) November 6, 2019

Lord of the Rings actor Elijah Wood said, “this shouldn’t be a thing.”

NOPE. this shouldn’t be a thing. https://t.co/RH7jWY5cAG — Elijah Wood (@elijahwood) November 6, 2019

Julie Ann Emery, who has starred in projects like Preacher and Better Call Saul added that it may not give proper credit to the living actor providing Dean’s voice.

Yeah, that's not James Dean.

It's his face on a motion capture performance and an "anonymous" actor providing voice pattern and choices.



I'd like to know how it will be credited.

How the real actors will be paid.

And how little this team understands the acting craft https://t.co/MkIQHrB5Y0 — Julie Ann Emery (@julieannemery) November 6, 2019

“How do Dean’s descendants know that he would WANT to be in a Vietnam movie?” she later asked.

This is an interesting point. How do Dean's descendants know that he would WANT to be in a Vietnam movie? That he would support that? — Julie Ann Emery (@julieannemery) November 6, 2019

Actors were not the only ones upset about this. An article from Vice pleaded “please don’t do this.”

“For the love of all that is holy, just let his legacy be,” it continued.

Esquire came up with its own suggestions for working actors that would have made a better choice instead of Dean. Their picks ranged from Timothée Chalamet to Harry Styles, to Cardi B and Post Malone, all to say that any living person would be better than a CGI version.

On the other hand, however, some were not as critical of the choice. While their voices were fewer and farther between, some thought that since his family gave it the okay, it should be allowed.

His family and his estate allowed for this to happen. Can we report that? If they approve of this, then it looks like the intentions are more than good here. — peter (@sinatraswinery) November 6, 2019

Future and Past Instances

According to The Hollywood Reporter’s piece, Ernst might have future plans to use this kind of technology. Magic City will be working with a Canadian group called Imagine Engine and a South African group MOI Worldwide to produce the CGI, and their list extends past James Dean.

“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,” he said.

This is also not the first time a late actor has been used on the screen in this way. In 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Peter Cushing, who died two decades before the film’s release, made an appearance as Grand Moff Tarkin via CGI. He originally played the character in Star Wars: A New Hope. When Rogue One hit theaters, his presence caused its own controversy, with some also thinking it was wrong to do this.