Rogue One: A Star Wars Story director Tony Gilroy has revealed the revolutionary technology that recreated Peter Cushing’s Grand Moff Tarkin has actually been discarded. Industrial Light & Magic used revolutionary CGI technology to bring back the late Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin in Rogue One, and it was widely seen as kicking off a massive ethical debate. It’s still controversial to this day, with Lucasfilm sued over the Rogue One cameo earlier this year.

Speaking to Empire Magazine, though, Rogue One director Tony Gilroy has revealed that technology is now massively out of date.

“What’s interesting is, all of the technology that went into Tarkin, that was like a Manhattan Project.
All of that technology has been discarded.
The moment machine-learning came in, they don’t do it that way at all 1732293817. It was like building steam-cars and building the best steam-car you could possibly ever do – then someone comes along and says, ‘We have gasoline that works a little bit better.’ Now it’s completely upended.”

Rogue One’s Moff Tarkin Idea Wasn’t As Ground-Breaking For Star Wars As We Thought

AI has completely replaced this technology

Gilroy is clearly referring to the development of AI, which is clearly having a transformative impact on VFX. It’s no real surprise that Industrial Light & Magic’s technology is cutting edge; it always has been, with George Lucas himself pushing them to experiment with every new technology as it emerges. Rogue One‘s Grand Moff Tarkin emerged when AI was still at an early stage, so different techniques were used.

There’s intense speculation that Gilroy is speaking from experience. He’s spent the last few years working on Andor, the Rogue One prequel, and many believe Grand Moff Tarkin will return in Andor season 2 – albeit presumably created using modern technology. Gilroy refuses to confirm this, but Tarkin certainly feels a natural fit for the story he’s currently telling.

The Debates Opened By Rogue One’s CGI Tarkin Still Matter

The ethical controversy still rages

The technology may have changed, but the ethical debates remain the same: should technology really be used to recreate those who have passed away? Lucasfilm chose not to do this after the death of Carrie Fisher, instead recycling unused footage for General Leia Organa and bringing on board her daughter Billie Lourd for a flashback scene. When does a CGI or AI recreation cease to become disrespectful? Where are the lines drawn?

If anything, the advancement of AI technology has made these questions all the more pressing. Some actors are vehemently opposed to the idea of AI recreations after their death, with Robert Downey, Jr warning any replacements will lead to lawsuits. Meanwhile, some studios are signing contracts now that explicitly authorize AI recreations. The emerging status quo is a complicated and confusing one, and the debate from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story arguably prefigured it.

Source: Empire Magazine