‘Star Wars: Rogue One’: Will Deceased Actor Peter Cushing Return Using CGI?

We’ve heard about it in the past, using the many existing images and footage of deceased stars to bring them back to life using digital effects for roles in future movies. Debates have been had. Would you want to see Humphrey Bogart make an appearance in a new movie someday? It’s already happening in the music world with the likes of Tupac Shakur and Michael Jackson.

Now a new report claims that there are plans in the works to bring Peter Cushing back to life using digital effects for the upcoming Star Wars standalone spinoff/prequel Rogue One. Cushing played Grand Moff Tarkin in the original trilogy, and passed away at the age of 81 in 1994. The character appeared in 2005’s Revenge of the Sith, but played by Wayne Pygram.

Daily Mail is reporting the news, saying that Cushing will be digitally re-created using “the latest Computer Generated Imagery (CGI) techniques.”

They also have a source who spoke about the plans, saying:

“This is one of the most complex and costly CGI re-creations ever. Cushing is a pivotal plot line as he was the one to create Darth Vader and there’s a whole back story that will come out.”

The biggest challenge in doing this is apparently re-creating Cushing’s legs and feet, as the actor didn’t like wearing the uncomfortable boots he was given and George Lucas allowed him to wear slippers instead and filmed him from the knees up.

There’s a plan for all of that too:

“They are going through hours and hours of old footage from the horror movies to recreate his legs and feet to produce realistic movements. It is eerie to see someone who has been dead for so long come to life on a screen.”

When they say “horror movies” they mean his roles in other films such as 1958’s Horror of Dracula, in which he played Van Helsing opposite the recently departed Christopher Lee (who also appeared in the Star Wars movies as Count Dooku).

Now, whether any of this is actually true remains to be seen. But considering Rogue One is set just before the events of the original Star Wars and follows a group of Rebel fighters stealing the plans for the Death Star, it would make sense that Grand Moff Tarkin be an important character in that story. We already know that Darth Vader will be appearing in the movie.

If this is true, it’d probably be a mistake if they didn’t bring in the insanely talented Jordu Schell’s scary realistic Grand Moff Tarkin bust to scan into their computer and help with the re-creation.

Would you be okay with Cushing being brought back to life using digital effects for Star Wars: Rogue One, or would you prefer they recast the role or leave the character out all together?