Dead actors starring in movies...

[Allhallowsday]

The Big Giant Head of Sir Lawrence Olivier had a featured role in SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW almost 20 years after his death.

Speaking of LAURENCE OLIVIER, when SPARTACUS was remastered and much chopped footage restored, the soundtrack had been lost to the infamous scene between OLIVIER and TONY CURTIS in the bath (I think considered way too suggestive for its day - 1960)... since OLIVIER had died, ANTHONY HOPKINS' voice was used in the restored scene.  I think CURTIS did his own dubbing. 

[Raffine]

The Big Giant Head of Sir Lawrence Olivier had a featured role in SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW almost 20 years after his death.

Speaking of LAURENCE OLIVIER, when SPARTACUS was remastered and much chopped footage restored, the soundtrack had been lost to the infamous scene between OLIVIER and TONY CURTIS in the bath (I think considered way too suggestive for its day - 1960)... since OLIVIER had died, ANTHONY HOPKINS' voice was used in the restored scene.  I think CURTIS did his own dubbing. 

Ha! The ol' "oysters or snails" scene!

I rember reading that in his last few roles David Niven's voice was weakened by Parkison's so his voice was dubbed by Rich Little. Little also provided the voice for an elderly Gene Kelly a couple of times.

[Rev. Powell]

Heath Ledger in THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS.  He died before filming was completed and his role was completed by three different actors.  The gamble only worked because they appeared in fantasy sequences on "the other side of the mirror;" if you watched it without knowing the history, you might assume that the intention was to use four different actors for the role from the beginning. 

[joejoeherron]

"Thieves of Fortune" was released after Lee Van Cleef died

[Trevor]

"Thieves of Fortune" was released after Lee Van Cleef died

That was made in South Africa and released here as Chameleon.

[Raffine]

Every bad movie fan knows Bela Lugosi 'starred' in PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE several years after his death.

Not all bad movie fans know Boris Karloff 'starred' in three films after his 1969 death:
THE INCREDIBLE INVASION (1971)
THE SNAKE PEOPLE (1971)
BLIND MAN'S BLUFF (1971)

TARGETS (1968) should have been Karloff's swan song, but right after filming that great film he went to Mexico and filmed scenes for the above titles.

'New' John Carradine peformances continued to pop up in movies years after his death. There's probably some unused footage feauring his late son David being cut into new movies at this very minute.

[NorthbyNorthWest]

Thanks a ton for all the information guys!

Widening the scope a bit...what are some good examples of this from television? We have the one example somebody gave of Tony Soprano's mother being replaced, but are there any other good examples?