Advances in modern technology have made it possible to roll back the years for actors in movies, and the technique of de-aging and digital deep-fake is only just getting started. However, according to visual effects executive Matt Panousis, the use of de-aging in movies is seen more than anyone realizes, thanks to some subtle changes made in around 85% of movies.
It is 17 years since X-Men: The Last Stand used de-aging technology for the first time to turn back the clock for Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellan in a flashback sequence. Since then, the digital alteration of actor’s faces has been seen in entire movies, like Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury in 2019’s Captain Marvel, and will be used to take Harrison Ford back to his Raiders of the Lost Ark days in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. However, it is the subtler uses of the technology that Panousis says is being used in most of the movies made today. Appearing on The Town with Matthew Belloni, Penousis was asked how prevalent the use of the technology is, and he said:
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“Very, very, very prevalent. […] We call that cosmetic… digital makeup, cosmetic. So when we talk about de-aging, aging, we’re typically talking about moving someone 15-20 years on either side of the spectrum, and typically that’s done for plotline, right? Flashback episode, is an example. But the bulk of the work is cosmetic. And the cosmetic stuff, we believe it’s probably somewhere along the lines of 80-85% of all productions out there in Hollywood right now.”
Will Technology Bring Back More Deceased Actors?
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
De-aging certainly has its uses in movies and is becoming a common tool in order to see actors playing the same character across a span of years and reprise roles they last played decades ago, such as Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker appearance in The Mandalorian. But, of course, Luke Skywalker was also portrayed through the use of deep-fake technology in other scenes, in which Hamill’s face was superimposed onto that of another actor. While this side of the coin is still a work in progress, it has already been used to bring actors back from the dead in the Star Wars franchise.
In Star Wars: Rogue One, Peter Cushing was recreated through CGI in order to reprise the role of Grand Moff Tarkin, and in The Rise of Skywalker, Carrie Fisher’s Leia was digitally rendered from old unused facial footage with digital hair, head, and body being added to create her scenes following her passing. While both uses of the technology had their critics, the feat was nonetheless an impressive leap forward in what is possible in TV and Movies.
Recently, it was reported that Bruce Willis had signed over the rights for his likeness to be recreated digitally on screen following his aphasia diagnosis. These reports were later debunked, but it raised the question of how long it will be before many actors begin to sign over their faces to future digital technology. The question is, where will that end?
