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Philip Seymour Hoffman did not finish filming the last two installments in the blockbuster "Hunger Games" series before his death -- but digital technology may help filmmakers complete the job.
Computer effects and camera tricks could be used to insert Hoffman, who died of an apparent heroin overdose, into at least one as-yet-unfilmed scene, according to one movie executive.
Studio Lionsgate said shortly after the Oscar-winning actor died at the weekend that the tragedy would not disrupt production of "Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1" which is due for release in November this year, and Part 2 due in theaters in November 2015.
Hoffman had completed his work for Part 1, and had seven days of filming left for the final film, the Hollywood Reporter said.
The industry journal cited an unnamed executive as saying that there was one major scene featuring Hoffman in Part 2 which had not yet been shot, and that filmmakers were confident they could work around it.
"They seem to have plans that don't seem very complicated" to complete both pictures without Hoffman, the Lionsgate executive said, adding: "You can do digital things, you can have conversations where you're not focusing on him but the people he's talking to."
Rob Legato, a veteran effects supervisor not working on the "Hunger Games" films, told the Hollywood Reporter: "These days the technology of using someone's likeness is a whole lot easier to do.
"I won't say you could generate a Philip Seymour Hoffman with all the acting ability, but you could certainly replicate him for a shot or two," said Legato, who worked on Martin Scorsese's latest movie, "The Wolf of Wall Street."
A spokesman for Lionsgate, based in Santa Monica, California, declined to comment Friday when asked by AFP about the reports.
The "Hunger Games" movies, based on Suzanne Collins' trilogy of novels, star Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen, a teenager forced into a deadly battle for survival in the macabre post-apocalyptic American kingdom of Panem.
The first film was released in 2012, and has earned over $850 million at the box office worldwide, according to Lionsgate.
The second installment, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" was released in November 2013 and has grossed over $860 million so far, according to Box Office Mojo.
Actors who have died part way through a film production include Heath Ledger, whose role in "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" was taken over by three actors -- Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Colin Farrell in dream-world transformations -- after his 2008 death.
River Phoenix died of a drug overdose in 1993, forcing the cancellation of "Dark Blood" -- although the film was eventually given a limited release by director George Sluizer in 2012, without the support of the actor's family.
The latest installment of the blockbuster "Fast and Furious" franchise was put on hold after the death of star Paul Walker in a high-speed car accident north of Los Angeles in November last year.
© (c) 2014 AFP
10 Comments
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nath
They missed The Crow, which Brandon Lee died while shooting. Good movie.
Chooky88
And Gladiator where they digitised Oliver Reed. After ten years PSH should Nb e even better. Or you could just dye Jack Blacks hair blonde (sorry, too soon?)
smithinjapan
I think the fact that everyone knows it won't be the real Hoffman makes this a kind of risky proposition. I mean, we all know how 'convincing' Arnold looked in Terminator: Salvation. Or Jeff Bridges young again in the recent Tron reboot. We allowed it because both actors are still alive (and the put Jeff as he is in the latter film as well), but with Hoffman it's not quite the same.
Still, if it's only for a brief shot or two, it might work.
nath
Weird. But, Tinseltown being what it is, his digitised "performance" will probabaly win an Oscar as some kind of "tribute" to his pasing..
wtfjapan
wont be long and youll see VR movie stars making it on the big screen. theyll do exactly what you want them to do when you want them to, never get sick or die oh and they be a hell of a lot cheaper than the real thing.
hidingout
And John Candy who died in his hotel room after a ten hour day filming Wagons East in the Mexican desert. RIP.
nath
And they missed Sylverster Stallone in The Expendables..... Oh, wait, he isn't dead yet!
JoiceRojo
The problem is not digitize Hoffman, but to capture his acting, as the story goes, you can easily put a stand in (like someone similar with bandages or something like that) or the digitized version (like Arnie in T Salvation or Jeff Bridges in TRON) the hardest part is to make it acting.. Arnie didn't say a word and Jeff Bridges did all the acting with these Motion caption "pads" in his face and then they put the digitized face over the body (I have the DVD so it is shown how it was made).
I rather use an actor with enough likeness, but who can find someone that can act like PSH? He's unique, it is like finding someone who can imitate James Earl Jones, you can find many who could come close but it will never be enough. The story could be modified a little to shown a Plutarch Heavensbee "changed" either by some kind of trauma but it would have to be very subtle as not to call for attention
arrestpaul
I guess this proves that movie-makers really don't need actors any more.
TrevorPeace1
Anything to make a buck.