Hollywood stars desperate to protect their image from being used in movies AFTER their deaths

CELEBS are rushing to protect how their characters and images are used in the afterlife after the spate of deceased actors being digitally resurrected.

Rogue One featured the return of Grand Moff Tarkin, played by Brit actor Peter Cushing who died 13 years ago.

Speculation has mounted that Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia in "Star Wars" and died on Tuesday, could also appear in yet-to-be-filmed episodes.

Filmmakers are tapping into advances in digital technology to resurrect characters after a performer dies, Reuters reported.

The trend has sent Hollywood actors in the here-and-now scrambling to exert control.

"Celebrities are increasingly involved in making plans to protect their intellectual property rights," Mark Roesler, an attorney and chairman of CMG Worldwide, an agency representing celebrity estates.

"They understand that their legacy will continue beyond their lifetime."

Roesler said at least 25 of his clients are negotiating the use of their or their loved ones' computer-generated images in movies, television or commercials.

Employment contracts govern how they can be used in a particular film or commercial, while a performer's Will can address broader issues.

Some actors or heirs worry that overexposure will tarnish a celebrity's image, Roesler said.

He also said many explicitly rule out depictions involving sex, violence, drugs and alcohol.

Robin Williams, who committed suicide in 2014, banned any use of his image for commercial means until 2039, according to court documents.

He also blocked anyone from digitally inserting him into a movie or TV scene or using a hologram.

This happened to rapper Tupac Shakur at Southern California's Coachella music festival in 2012 - 16 years after his murder.

Virtual characters have been used when an actor dies in the middle of a film production, as when Universal Pictures combined CGI and previous footage for Paul Walker's role in 2015's "Furious 7" after Walker's 2013 death in a car crash.

'Rogue One' broke new ground by giving a significant supporting role to British actor Peter Cushing, who died in 1994.

Walt Disney Co reprised his role from the original 1997 Star Wars film, with a mix of visual effects and a different actor.

A Disney spokeswoman declined to comment on whether Princess Leia would appear in films beyond Episode VIII, which is set for release in 2017.

Fisher had wrapped filming for the next Star Wars episode before she died after suffering a heart attack on a flight from London to Los Angeles.

Fisher had been expected to play a key role in the ninth installment of the sci-fi saga, due for release in 2019.

Fisher's attorney, Frederick Bimbler, did not return requests for information on any stipulations the actress may have made about use of her image.

Disney, which bought Star Wars from Lucasfilm in 2012 for $4 billion, would need to negotiate "re-use fees" with Fisher's estate to resurrect her character for future films.

That's according to Mark Litwak, an entertainment attorney in Los Angeles.

He said a bigger question for film-makers and fans is whether the technology provides a realistic portrayal.

"Most people in the movie industry don't think it's quite there yet," said Litwak.

"It's amazing what they can do, but it's not as good as a real actor.

"It still seems a bit artificial.

On the prospect of Leia's return, he asked: "Does Disney want to have people scrutinising how real that synthetic character is, rather than talking about the movie itself?"

The rights of actors' heirs are rooted in a 1985 California law requiring filmmakers to obtain permission from a celebrity's estate to use his or her image after death.

The law was enacted after a campaign by the son of Dracula actor Bela Lugosi, a lawyer who objected to widespread use of his late father's image.

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