Hollywood Stars and Critics Say 'Shameful' Digital James Dean Casting Sets 'Awful Precedent'

The movie industry and its loyal fans have a lot to say about the planned use of a digitally resurrected James Dean performance.

Through the use of CGI technology, filmmakers are readying to return the iconic actor to the big screen — 64 years after his untimely death. Dean died at the age of 24 in 1955 when he was involved in a head-on collision in California while driving his Porsche.

For the upcoming Vietnam War era film Finding Jack, directors Anton Ernst and Tati Golykh secured the rights to Dean’s likeness from his family, casting him in a secondary role, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

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Several movie stars reacted to the announcement, mostly with distaste for the decision.

“I’m sure he’d be thrilled 🙄 This is awful,” tweeted Captain America actor Chris Evans. “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.”

“NOPE. this shouldn’t be a thing,” wrote Lord of the Rings alum Elijah Wood.

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Playing the role of Rogan, Dean will be brought to life using head-to-toe visual effects drawn from existing footage and file photos, with another actor supplying his voice. The otherwise live-action film is slated for a Veterans Day release next year.

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

Final Destination star Devon Sawa was confused by the casting choice on Twitter, writing, “They couldn’t give this role to an actual human? #SJW.”

Former Twilight actor Jackson Rathbone took issue with the concept, tweeting: “As a huge fan, and as a performer, I’m saddened and vexed by this ‘casting’. Image is not performance.”

Dean completed three films before his death — East of Eden, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant — and received two posthumous Oscar nominations for East of Eden and Giant.

“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 told THR. “… We do not intend to let his fans down.”

Offering a key perspective on the subject, actress Zelda Williams — daughter of the late Robin Williams — was appalled that the “industry would stoop this low.”

“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,” Williams tweeted. “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.”

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Finding Jack, which is set to begin initial production later this month, could open the door to new possibilities in returning deceased stars to future Hollywood projects.

“This opens up a whole new opportunity for many of our clients who are no longer with us,” Mark Roesler, CEO of CMG Worldwide, told THR. The agency represents Dean’s legacy, as well as hundreds of other dead personalities, including Rock Hudson, Bette Davis, Burt Reynolds and Aaliyah.

Film critics also voiced their own worries and frustrations over what the new precedent could mean for the art form.

Aisha Harris of the New York Times called the filmmakers “uninspired” for treating Dean as “intellectual property,” and the Daily Mirror‘s Courtney Pochin wrote, “Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”