James Dean returning to screen after film producers secure IP rights
News that a US film studio has secured the IP rights to use James Dean’s image in a new film has sparked concern from fans and the entertainment industry.
Magic City Films announced that it had the blessing of Dean’s estate to use his image on screen in a new film “Finding Jack”, scheduled for release next year.
‘Dean’s character’ will be represented using old photographs and videos, along with CGI and motion capture.
CMG Worldwide, an IP licensing company which deals in image rights for dead celebrities including Dean, said that the news opened up a “new frontier”.
The company has previously licensed IP rights for Dean to brands including McDonald’s, Montblanc, Levi Strauss, and Porsche.
Magic City Films producer Anton Ersnt told Entertainment Weekly yesterday, November 6 that the company had carried out an “extensive search” for a living actor to play the role.
Ernst claimed: “The family views this as his fourth movie, a movie he never got to make. We do not intend to let his fans down.”
The news has not been universally welcomed. Lindsay Romain, a contributing editor at Nerdist magazine, said it was “among the most ghastly things to ever happen”, while Vice Magazine concluded that “nothing is sacred”.
CMG’s ‘clients’ also include pilot Amelia Earhart, Chuck Berry, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks, and Johan Cruyff.
According to CMG’s website, its business also includes securing clearance rights for the use of celebrities’ images, and booking speaking engagements for its “living clients”.
It commonly licenses the likeness and image of dead celebrities for use in advertising campaigns.
According to the company, these include Apple campaigns featuring Earhart and African-American civil rights activist and poet Maya Angelou.
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