I can’t think of an example of this happening, but I’m sure it must have done, so I’ll use a hypothetical future event. If Emelia Clarke were to die 80% through filming of the next season of Game of Thrones, scrapping the series and scrapping the character of Dani would not be realistic options. There would just have to be a new actress for Dani in season 5.
Assuming though that all the expensive set-piece scenes which featured Dani were already filmed, but they still had some lines that needed to be said by Dani and make no sense if left out or said by someone else, what to do for season 4?
Do they refilm all scenes that feature Dani with the new actress, get the new actress to finish of the last 20% of Dani’s scenes*, (with the weirdness that scenes aren’t filmed sequentially so from the viewer’s perspective the actress would change back and forth) or seriously bodge the plot right up? Now given *GoT’s * budget they’d probably hang the expense and refilm everything that featured Dani, but what cases have there been when other shows lost an actor playing an irreplaceable character halfway through a season filming, and how was that dealt with?
*for this they’d need to do it zoomed out, or otherwise create heavy obscuration.
The two examples that come immediately to mind are The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus and Plan 9 From Outer Space. In the first, Heath Ledger was simply replaced and the audience was expected to just deal with it as another bit of the film’s weirdness. In the other, Bela Lugosi was famously filmed around by the use of Ed Wood’s wife’s podiatrist as a double. Here is a list of 10 celebrities who died leaving productions in the lurch.
Film from behind. Clever editing. Special Effects.
They probably have enough cutting room floor footage to establish her presence, close ups, generic shots, etc. You can also use special effects to insert her image in freshly filmed scenes. For scene specific filming, you can also have a body double stand in her place while others do the scene, you just film from behind. A voice actor mimics her voice.
Brainstorm had most of Natalie Wood’s scenes shot at the time of her death, but used a body double for the remaining ones. Edit: Ack, I see I missed it on the list posted above.
I agree with Cheesesteak’s suggestions. Depending on what’s involved with the story, you may be able to justify “cheats” like wearing a mask/helmet, as well.
Oliver Reed died during the filming of Gladiator. This required a reworking of his character’s fate, some clever reuse of off-cut footage (digitally recolouring his clothes to further differentiate), and a few shots of a body double from behind and in silhouette.
If, in a situation like Game of Thrones, you can’t just kill off a character, then recasting is the only option. See Spartacus: Blood and Sand.
Back in 1994, when digital effects were beginning to take over from practical effects, Brandon Lee died on the set of The Crow. IIRC, they took footage from earlier in the film, cut out the background and digitally inserted him into a new set for later in the film. I think once he’s walking into the apartment and once walking down an alley. I remember that if you know to look for it, it’s pretty obvious that he’s walking the same walk shivering the same shivers as he moves toward the camera. Still, given the technology of the day, it wasn’t a bad special effects job at all. They also used a body double and digitally inserted Lee’s face onto him for some shots, and cut and pasted cutting room floor footage for other shots, particularly close ups and reaction shots. Other times they rewrote the shooting script to film the body double from the back. Eric didn’t talk much, that I recall, so I don’t know what they did about his voice, but there are voice actors who can mimic pretty much anyone, so I don’t think that was the hardest obstacle to overcome.
When John Ritter died of an aortic dissection while rehearsing on the set of 8 Simple Rules For Dating My Teenaged Daughter near the beginning of the second season, they had a small hiatus then continued as 8 Simple Rules. They acknowledged the death by showing a special one hour episode titled “Goodbye” about his death of his character. They then added actors David Spade as a cousin, and James Gardner as a grandfather.
BTW, the “8 Simple Rules” referred to in the title are:
Use your hands on my daughter and you’ll lose them after.
You make her cry, I make you cry.
Safe sex is a myth. Anything you try will be hazardous to your health.
Bring her home late, there’s no next date.
If you pull into my driveway and honk, you better be dropping off a package because you’re sure not picking anything up (Alternative rule #5: Only delivery men honk. Dates ring the doorbell. Once.)
No complaining while you’re waiting for her. If you’re bored, change my oil.
If your pants hang off your hips, I’ll gladly secure them with my staple gun.
Dates must be in crowded public places. You want romance? Read a book.