Ever since Peter Cushing’s Grand Moff Tarkin made his return in this past December’s ‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,’ there has been much discussion about the possibilities of using CGI to resurrect beloved characters whose actors have passed away. Of course, due to the timing of her death, everyone was concerned about whether Lucasfilm was going to try to digital insert a CGI Carrie Fisher as General Organa into the remainder of the ‘Star Wars’ films, a prospect we have been assured is not going to happen (probably for the best), but what other possibilities are there?
Well, it seems not everyone finds the idea of digital Frankensteining that appalling, as according to a recent interview with TrekMovie, Leonard Nimoy’s son, Adam Nimoy, does not see a particular problem with the use of the technology to bring back his father’s beloved character of Spock to make further appearances in the universe of ‘Star Trek.’
In his words:
“Yeah, I think it’s an interesting idea. I loved what they did in Rogue One. I thought it was pretty clever, and I was blown away by it, frankly. All of the stuff that Peter Cushing was doing was mind-boggling to me.I’m a sucker for that stuff. I think it should certainly be explored, but I’m not the final arbiter as to whether it’s going to happen, but I think it’s a great idea, personally. There are more parties involved than just me as to whether it’s going to happen. On a personal level, I think it would be cool.”
Personally, I’m a little torn. It is a fascinating technology, and if the filmmakers get the blessing of the estate, and make sure that it is done tastefully, bringing the likeness of the actor and the character to life can be a touching tribute and a fitting homage to their work, and help contribute to a story that was simply not possibly in years past. But as with everything CGI, it can all go so horribly wrong. In the case of Spock, I’m not even sure where they could use a CGI Spock at this point, as in the movie continuity Spock has also passed on, and even if they tried to wedge him into the new ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ television show, the timeline of ‘Discovery’ puts it years before Spock’s adulthood, meaning they would not need an adult Nimoy. Even then, I doubt ‘Discovery’ would want to use any of their budget to try to make that kind of CGI happen, especially if it ends up being the disastrous ratings pit I think it’s going to be thanks to the greedy studio decision to bind the series within the CBS GO app.
What are your thoughts on a CGI Spock? Is it something you would like to see utilized one day if they could get the rest of the Nimoy estate to sign on? Or would you rather the character rest in peace along with Mr. Nimoy himself? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
