Why Some Actors Final Films Are Released Posthumously

Recent years have seen several notable instances where actors passed away before their final filmed performances were released to the public. These posthumous releases raise questions about the completion of the projects and the handling of an actor’s final role. The circumstances vary, with some performances being largely finished and others requiring significant digital or narrative intervention.

Main News

Chadwick Boseman died in August 2020 from colon cancer. His final performance was in the film adaptation of the August Wilson play, *Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom*. The film was released on Netflix in December 2020.

Actor Cameron Boyce died in July 2019 from epilepsy. He had completed filming for the Disney+ series The Descendants and the movie Runt. Both projects were released after his death.

Carrie Fisher appeared as General Leia Organa in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, which was released in 2019. Fisher had died in 2016, and her role was completed using unreleased footage from The Force Awakens.

In the Fast & Furious franchise, Paul Walker died in a car crash in November 2013 during a break in filming Furious 7. The production used body doubles and digital effects, including facial replacement using his brothers, to complete his scenes. The film was released in 2015.

Summary

The entertainment industry has dealt with the deaths of actors during production on several occasions. These situations present significant challenges for filmmakers who must decide how to proceed with incomplete projects.

Films such as Furious 7 and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker utilized existing footage and digital technology to complete the performances of Paul Walker and Carrie Fisher, respectively. This allows for the character’s story to be concluded without recasting.

Other projects, including Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and the series The Descendants, had largely finished filming before the deaths of Chadwick Boseman and Cameron Boyce. Their final performances were released as completed.

The approach taken depends on the amount of footage already shot and the creative decisions of the production team and the actor’s estate.

FAQs

**How do filmmakers complete a movie when an actor dies during production?**
Completion methods depend on how much footage was filmed. Productions may use body doubles with digital face replacement, incorporate unused footage from previous filming, or rewrite the script to explain the character’s absence.

Was Chadwick Boseman sick while filming Black Panther?
Chadwick Boseman was diagnosed with stage III colon cancer in 2016. He did not publicly disclose his diagnosis and continued working, including on Black Panther, while undergoing treatment.

What happened to Paul Walker’s character in the Fast & Furious movies?
Following Paul Walker’s death, his character, Brian O’Conner, was written out of the main narrative. The storyline established that he retired from his dangerous life to focus on his family, allowing the character to remain alive in the franchise’s universe.