There aren't many worse things that can happen on a film production than your star dying; after all, how the Hell are you supposed to finish things when your protagonist can no longer appear on screen? Though many filmmakers would simply abandon the film and admit defeat, in these 8 instances, a "never say never" attitude resulted in some shocking movies that either demonstrated inventive genius, or an incredible lack of taste, or just made us wish that the film had never been made. Many got up in arms about that rumour a few years back that George Lucas was going to use CGI to "resurrect" dead actors, but boy, that's got nothing on these actual incidents... From poor editing tricks to flat out lying to consumers about how much of their role the late star had actually filmed, situations like this can catch directors and producers at their most unscrupulous. Ranging from superbly crafted Best Picture-winning blockbusters to the worst of the worst, here are 8 shocking movies that Hollywood made with dead actors...
8. Plan 9 From Outer Space
Bela Lugosi is, of course, best known for playing Dracula, though probably his next-most prominent role would be in a movie released after his death, Ed Wood's inimitable schlock spectacle Plan 9 from Outer Space. Wood had previously filmed some footage of Lugosi in his Dracula costume for a vampire movie he eventually planned to make, though struggled to find funding for. Wood eventually decided to make Plan 9 instead, and so opted to incorporate the vampiric Lugosi character into the plot, despite the fact that the man had by now died. But mere death wouldn't stop a renegade filmmaker like Wood; he combined the silent footage of Lugosi that he had with new footage of a double he hired, who in fact happened to be his wife's chiropractor, though is noticeably slimmer than the actor, and has to cover his face with his cape during most shots... Though the film is impossible to take seriously, it's pretty ballsy all the same; how many directors would even dare do something this mental?