Most actors dream of building a career that will be remembered long after their death. Few make it – showbiz can be a tricky place to succeed. However, those who succeed can achieve a kind of immortality on the movie screen that allows their names to live forever, writes the BBC.

One such icon is American film actor James Dean, who died in a car accident in 1955 after appearing in only three films. But all three were hits. However, nearly seven decades after he died, Dean has been cast as a star in a new film called Back to Eden.

A digital clone of the actor – created using artificial intelligence similar to that used to generate deepfakes – will walk, talk and interact on screen with the other actors in the film. This technology is the pinnacle of Hollywood computer-generated imagery (CGI).

But the actors and screenwriters who went on strike in Hollywood for the first time in 43 years are concerned about the advancing technology. They fear they will be replaced by artificial intelligence algorithms and argue that creativity will be sacrificed for profit.

Actress Susan Sarandon is one of those who has spoken out about her concerns, warning that AI could make her “say and do things she can’t control”.

This is the second time that Dean’s digital clone has participated in the film. In 2019, it was announced that he would be resurrected in CGI for a film called Finding Jack, but this idea was later scrapped. However, Cloyd confirmed that Dean will star in Return to Eden, a sci-fi film in which “an out-of-this-world visitor travels across America in search of the truth with the legend James Dean.”

Dean’s digital cloning also represents a significant push to the limits of what is possible. Not only will his avatar play a role in Return to Eden and a series of follow-up films, but he will also interact with audiences on interactive platforms including augmented reality, virtual reality and gaming.