"The film industry has seen impressive technological advances in recent decades. One of these advances is the ability to digitally recreate deceased actors using CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery) and artificial intelligence. Disney, one of the giants of the film industry, has been at the center of this controversy, particularly through the use of these technologies in films such as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and The Rise of Skywalker. However, the practice of 'resurrecting' deceased actors has sparked criticism and lawsuits and sparked intense debate about the ethical and legal boundaries of the use of technology in film.
One of the most notable controversies surrounding Disney arose with the release of Rogue One, part of the Star Wars film universe. In this film, British actor Peter Cushing, who died in 1994, was digitally recreated to reprise his iconic role as Grand Moff Tarkin. Although the CGI recreation of Cushing was visually impressive, it was heavily criticized by audiences, the film industry, and his family.
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One of the main problems was that the actor had verbally stipulated that his likeness could not be recreated without the express consent of his representatives. Despite this agreement, Cushing's digital image was used in the movie, leading to a lawsuit against Disney. The plaintiffs argued that the recreation violated the actor's wishes and raised questions about respect for artists' post-mortem rights.
If the lawsuit is successful, it does not appear to have much more significance for Disney. The company has settled with Cushing's representative for $36,000 to resolve the issue of the actor's audiovisual rights. The controversy (and the lawsuit) has arisen because Freddie Francis, a friend of the actor and director of fantasy films, is seeking €650,000 in compensation from Disney for the family under the image rights.
A trend
The Peter Cushing case is not the only one that has landed Disney in trouble. The company is showing a growing interest in using CGI technology and AI-powered tools to "resurrect" deceased actors in its productions, either out of nostalgia or because they are important to the development of the movie plot. For example, Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia in the Star Wars saga, was also digitally recreated after her death to complete her participation in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. A young Luke Skywalker was also recreated to complete his appearance in one of the episodes of The Mandalorian.
While many viewers see these replicas as a tribute to the deceased actors, others see an ethical dilemma in this practice. At the heart of this debate is the question of whether the actors would have agreed to their likeness being used after their death or whether their legacy is being commercially exploited.
But many franchises have already joined the trend of reviving characters, as in the case of Alien with a digital recreation of Ian Holm, the android Ash who appeared in Alien: Romulus. But Harold Ramis also made a CGI appearance in Ghostbusters, Paul Walker in Fast & Furious, and Christopher Reeve in Flash. Others, such as Schwarzenegger in Terminator or Brad Pitt in Benjamin Button, were also rejuvenated or aged using this technology.
Legality and ethics
The use of CGI to recreate deceased actors has led to several lawsuits against Disney. The heirs of the actors have argued in several cases that the producers are infringing on post-mortem image rights. Although laws vary from country to country, some heirs have argued that these replicas are an unfair exploitation of their family's legacy.
In addition to the legal issues, the ethical implications of this practice are also of great concern. The key question is: to what extent is it okay to use the image of a person who can no longer give their consent? Although some actors have signed contracts allowing the use of their digital image after their death, many others have not left precise instructions on the matter because no one thought cinema would reach these technological heights."
