Video

This video shows Peter Cushing being digitally resurrected in Rogue One

Words by Adam Woodward

The painstaking process of recreating Grand Moff Tarkin has finally been revealed...

The decision to bring back Grand Moff Tarkin in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – despite the fact that Peter Cushing, the actor who played the iconic Death Star commander in George Lucas’s original trilogy, died in 1994 – delighted fans of the franchise while understandably sparking controversy elsewhere.

But wherever you stand on the ethics of reviving a long-departed star for the purposes of a major commercial property, you have to admit it was a pretty remarkable technical feat.

Now the clever SFX wizards over at Industrial Light & Magic have revealed just how they did it via a fascinating behind the scenes clip. It briefly shows how the Oscar-nominated visual effects team mapped Cushing’s facial features onto the British actor Guy Henry using a combination of “lightstage” motion capture and CGI.

Watch the video above to see the astonishing process in action.

Two illustrated book covers depicting a smiling Black man wearing a hat and tie, with a city skyline in the background

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