Rogue One: A Star Wars Storybrought Grand Moff Tarkin back to theStar Warsscreen despite Tarkin actor Peter Cushing’s death in 1994—and it’s now become a legal matter. Tarkin was introduced as Darth Vader’s right-hand man inA New Hopeand is likely best known for his role in destroying Alderaan with the Death Star. Tarkin has appeared inStar Warsmovies and TV showssince the original trilogy, including a cameo inStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sithand multiple appearances inStar Wars: The Clone Wars.
Those appearances were quite distinct from Tarkin’s return inRogue One, however. AsThe Clone Warsis animated, it did not require Cushing’s likeness, and the character was voiced by Stephen Stanton in that show. InRevenge of the Sith, actor Wayne Pygram was able to be recast in the role through the use of prosthetics (and the fact that Tarkin was primarily shown from a distance).Rogue Oneopted to incorporate the late Peter Cushing into that movie’s recreation of Gran Moff Tarkin, though, and that has landed Lucasfilm in hot water.
How Rogue One Brought Grand Moff Tarkin Back For Rogue One
Star Wars Used A Combination Of Digital Effects And Live Action
UnlikeThe Clone WarsandRevenge of the Sith,Rogue Oneused a digital recreation of Peter Cushing’s facein combination with the live-action performance of actor Guy Henry. Similar to the tools used to bring backLuke Skywalker inThe Mandalorianseason 2and inThe Book of Boba Fett, Henry wore motion capture technology that allowed his face to be replaced with a recreation of Cushing’s later on. Evidently, Henry was also able to convincingly voice the character inRogue One.
Henry wore motion capture technology that allowed his face to be replaced with a recreation of Cushing’s later on.
The transformation was no easy undertaking, however. This process took nearly 18 months in total, andABC Newsreported that it required a multistep approach. This began with the artists watching the footage of Tarkin inA New Hoperepeatedly until they felt they had his visage fully understood. The next step entailed Henry’s live-action performance, for which he wore a head-mounted camera rig. It was this piece of technology that captured Henry’s facial performance, which was ultimately used as a reference to recreate Tarkin’s face.
Even that process was not flawless, though. It required meticulous adjustments, at times requiring frame-by-frame changes to minor details such as mouth movements.Shockingly,Rogue Onewas also able to use a cast of Cushing’s face that had been made for another movie,Top Secret(1984).
PertheNew York Times, Grand Moff Tarkin was simply too important to the story forRogue Oneto not include him. Lucasfilm story development executive and co-producer ofRogue OneKiri Hart explained:
“If he’s not in the movie, we’re going to have to explain why he’s not in the movie…. This is kind of his thing.”
It’s true that Tarkin was heavily involved with the creation and operation of the Death Star, so his absence fromRogue Onewould have been noticeable and a bit odd, butthe use of Peter Cushing’s likeness for the movie nevertheless raised a host of ethical questions.
Star Wars Makes Grand Moff Tarkin Even More Important - & Reveals Why His Death Shook The Empire
While Grand Moff Tarkin’s death came swiftly in A New Hope, wider Star Wars canon has made him even more crucial to the Empire’s infrastructure.
Grand Moff Tarkin’s Return Caused A Huge Debate About CGI
This Choice Sparked Conversations About Respecting Late Actors
Thedecision to use Cushing’s likeness for the movie was immediately controversial because it meant bringing a deceased actor back to the screen (obviously) without their awareness or consent. This is far from the first time this has been done in movies, including inStar Wars. Just three years afterRogue Onewas released in 2016,Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerbrought Carrie Fisher back as Leia Organa. This was arguably even more unsettling, as Fisher had only died a few years earlier and unused footage was part of bringing her back to life on screen.
This raises serious questions about whether such a practice is ethical. As these technologies become more advanced, this question will only become all the more pressing and important, and it seems both audiences and professionals in the industry are divided on the answer. Yes, these actors and characters are essential to these stories, but is a story really enough of a justification for potentially disrespecting the dead?
Is a story really enough of a justification for potentially disrespecting the dead?
Why Lucasfilm Has Now Been Taken To Court Over Rogue One’s Tarkin Cameo
While this may be an ethical quandary for many,film producer Kevin Francis, who was a close friend of Peter Cushing, has taken a clear stance on the issue, as he issuing Lucasfilm over Tarkin’sRogue Onecameo. Francis is alleging that Cushing never gave permission for his likeness to be used in this way following his death. In response, Lucasfilm has argued that they did not need permission to recreate Cushing’s likeness. Disney attempted to have the case thrown out, but the lawsuit is moving forward after the company’s appeal was dismissed.
It will be fascinating to see how this plays out, not only because of what it means forRogue Onebut also because it could have implications far beyondStar Wars. Lucasfilm is far from the only company using various technologies to bring late actors back to life, and that will only become more common. Should this lawsuit suggest such practices are unethical, it will raise major questions in the film industry. While audiences may have been pleased to see Grand Moff Tarkin inStar Warsagain,Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’sdecision caused quite the controversy.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Cast
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a standalone film set in the Star Wars universe, where a group of resistance fighters, led by Jyn Erso, embarks on a mission to steal the Death Star plans. This pivotal event sets the stage for the iconic saga to follow.
