Ghosts From The Machine: Should We Be Recreating Dead Actors With CGI?

In 1968, a pixelated cat moved across a computer screen in Russia and computer-generated imagery (CGI) became a thing. Since then, CGI has become so sophisticated that we sometimes have difficulty distinguishing if an image is real. CGI has often been controversial, with the latest instance being the criticism by Star Wars fans in regard to the film “Rogue One.”

Many fans feel that Lucasfilm, owned by Disney, crossed the line when the studio used CGI to resurrect the characters Grand Moff Tarkin and the younger Princess Leia. Peter Cushing, who portrayed Tarkin in the original 1977 film “New Hope” has been deceased nearly 40 years, and Carrie Fisher, known the world over as Leia, passed away Dec. 27—less than a month ago.

Some fans have argued that in Fisher’s case, the timing was too soon and that in both cases, the studio only cared about making money. Producers said the characters were vital for the story to make sense, but that they were not planning on extensive digital recreation in the future. The process for this type of CGI is time consuming and expensive—so, why didn’t the studio just hire actors who bore a strong resemblance to the original cast members?

There is a long history of studios doing just that. Michael Gambon replaced Richard Harris as Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films after Harris’s death from Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. No one created a CGI version of Harris. The studio actually did hire actors for Tarkin and Leia, but only as models and placeholders for the CGI.

On the other hand, should the CGI used in “Rogue One” even be an issue, since Cushing’s estate gave permission and Fisher signed contracts allowing CGI before her death? The same arguments arose when rappers Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre used holographic technology to bring hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur on stage at the 2012 Coachella music festival. And while some outcry did erupt, the majority of hip-hop fandom was supportive of the new technology.

Perhaps someday soon, we’ll be able to pay for a holographic image of Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, or some other dead (or living) celebrity, to stand in our living room and give us our schedule for the day, or tell us how great we look. Some will still call the practice of visually recreating the dead creepy and unethical, but the technological resurrection will probably continue anyway; after all, money walks and talks, even when dead.