Director Anton Ernst said, "We searched high and low for the perfect character to portray the role of Rogan, which has some extreme complex character arcs, and after months of research, we decided on James Dean. 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. The family views this as his fourth movie, a movie he never got to make. We do not intend to let his fans down."
Ernst's Magic City Films obtained the rights to Dean's image from the actor's family.
Mark Roesler, CEO of CMG Worldwide, who represents Dean's family as well as other departed celebs and historical figures, said, "This opens up a whole new opportunity for many of our clients who are no longer with us."
Not everyone has Roesler's positive view of this news, however. "Captain America" Chris Evans tweeted about the news, saying, "This is awful. 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." Elijah Wood also tweeted, saying, "NOPE. this shouldn't be a thing."
Production for the film starts in a little over a week with a release date slated for Veterans Day 2020.
