Trump Weighs Ban on Hollywood’s Digital Necrophilia
Tinseltown’s latest trend of digitally recreating deceased actors has found itself in the crosshairs of President Trump and his administration. The newly appointed leader of the free world has already enacted several controversial initiatives during his first week in office, but he’s now turning his eye to the entertainment industry.
In addition to heavily taxing foreign-made videogames, Trump is aiming to put an end to the so-called practice of “digital necrophilia,” where Hollywood studios use CGI to recreate the likenesses of deceased movie stars. The 70-year old businessman-turned-politician seems to have been triggered by a few high-profile films in particular: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Furious 7.
Rogue One featured a CGI recreation of Grand Moff Tarkin – a character made famous by the long-deceased Peter Cushing – as well as a small cameo by an entirely digital young Princess Leia which used the late Carrie Fisher’s likeness. Meanwhile, Furious 7 used a CGI version of Paul Walker’s character to complete his role in the film.
Both films were enormously successful at the box office, but Trump wants to make sure such digital performances are banned or heavily taxed in the very near future.
“I could have CG’ed America back when it was great, too… but that would have been unethical and friggin’ creepy as hell. The people deserve more than a cheap trick. And they’re smart. They can spot a fake a mile away. I don’t care what Hollywood says. The reality is, anything truly great… from actors to leaders like me… we have an all-spark… something that no machine could ever replicate.”
FSW carefully brought up the fact that in each case of “digital resurrection” by a Hollywood studio, the families of the deceased performers were handsomely rewarded. Trump dismissed the gestures as more wheeling-and-dealing.
“This is digital graverobbing – and I don’t like it. Telling me that the person’s estate will be paid off doesn’t make it right. These are good American people who are being coerced into literally selling the souls of their loved ones to Hollywood for a quick buck. So I’m going to propose a ban. The harshest ban. On all CG’ed ‘actors’ of people who have passed away. This is a disgrace to their legacies. Hollywood is creating zombies of these great actors. And you know what, these are roles that could have gone to living, breathing people. An up-and-coming actress. Or a hard-working waiter somewhere in this beautiful country. The Uncanny Valley – that very weird inhuman appearance of these CG creations – well it isn’t on any map of the United States. Because it ain’t part of making America great again.”
Trump’s remarks sent shockwaves throughout Hollywood; several productions that utilize digital recreations of dead actors have already been halted. It seems all of La La Land is waiting to see how this pans out.
Rumors have emerged of a new super lobbyist group being formed by Disney and a pair of other major Hollywood studios. The group has been tasked with swaying Trump’s administration into leniency regarding the controversial CG practice. In a few days, we will know whether they’ve been successful or not because Trump is expected to make a move very quickly.
Our new president hasn’t written all of Hollywood off though. We’ve heard he has “great respect, the most respect” for Harrison Ford because of the screen icon’s mission to kill his entire filmography before anyone digitally recreates him posthumously.
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-William “Willybobo” Bobo
