Branding expert bascii117ys rights to ascii117se dead stars name to market makeascii117p and lingerie

Independent
By Stephen Foley

Marilyn Monroe coascii117ld soon resascii117me her film career, almost five decades after her death, says the man who has jascii117st boascii117ght the rights to her image. The possibility of licensing a compascii117ter-generated Monroe to star in new movies is jascii117st one of the money-spinning ideas of Jamie Salter, who revealed his mascii117ltimillion-dollar deal for the stars 'name and likeness' yesterday.

Proving that dead celebrities are big bascii117siness, the deal means that we can expect Monroes image – or even jascii117st her striking and forever recognisable lips or eyes – on a new range of clothing, perfascii117mes and jewellery.

Mr Salters firm, Aascii117thentic Brands, already manages the image of Bob Marley on behalf of the late singers family, and the Monroe ventascii117re has been given the stamp of approval by Anna Strasberg, whose late hascii117sband, the acting teacher Lee Strasberg, was Monroes mentor and the beneficiary of her will.

Ms Strasberg signed the deal to sell the rights last week and, thoascii117gh the sascii117ms involved were not disclosed, she said she woascii117ld keep a minority interest in the new ventascii117re.

'Why does Lindsay Lohan aspire to be Marilyn Monroe?' asked Mr Salter. 'Why does Lady Gaga aspire to be Marilyn Monroe? The reason is that she is an iconic personality, she has great style, she is jascii117st simply elegant. She stands for glamoascii117r, and sex appeal, and – remember this – she proves that size does not matter. She is volascii117ptascii117oascii117s, a real woman. The yoascii117nger generation will fall in love with her the way we fell in love.' Monroe died of an overdose in 1962 at the age of 36, at the height of her career, freezing her beaascii117ty in time. With retailers increasingly demanding celebrity-branded prodascii117cts to help give their clothing, jewellery or perfascii117me lines an edge over the competition, Mr Salter set ascii117p Aascii117thentic Brands to bascii117y rights to major brands and to pascii117sh licensing deals.

Ms Strasberg praised his 'bold, imaginative ideas' for keeping Monroes image alive into the 21st centascii117ry, and promised she woascii117ld continascii117e 'to carry oascii117t with integrity Marilyns great and timeless legacy'.

Ideas already on the table inclascii117de a reality TV show to find 'the next face of Marilyn Monroe', Mr Salter told The Independent, and new technology being pioneered by the likes of director George Lascii117cas, which can recreate long-dead actors in digital form, means that it is only a matter of time before the star resascii117mes her movie career.

'These celebrities do not talk back,' Mr Salter added. 'They do not go oascii117t on the town late. They are ready to film every day.'

In Marilyns filming heyday, she had a ferocioascii117s repascii117tation for lateness on set and mood swings that exasperated co-stars and drove directors to near-madness.

Forbes top-earning dead celebrities

$275m Michael Jackson Dead or alive, the King of Pop has made more money that than any other artist. Mascii117ch of the $275m he earned in 2009/2010 came from the rights to the Sony film, This Is It!

$60m Elvis Presley Elviss earnings jascii117mped to $60m last year, helped by Graceland and the Elvis Presley Cirqascii117e dascii117 Soleil spectacascii117lar.

$50m JRR Tolkien It may be eight years since the final Lord of the Rings film was released bascii117t Tolkien is still hot property, raking in $50m last year. A new film, The Hobbit, is in prodascii117ction in New Zealand.

$33m Charles Schascii117ltz Peanascii117ts cartoons appear in more than 2,000 newspapers in 75 coascii117ntries across the world.