With only a few weeks bridging today to the release of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the subject of the de-ageing technology – which is surely only going to intensify after its premiere at the Cannes Film Fesrtival on 18th May – is at the forefront of the conversation. The talk of the tech could easily overwhelm the narrative surrounding the release of the film, and Harrison Ford touched on this incredible and fast-evolving technology.
We’ve seen impressive de-aging shots in “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” thanks to the film’s trailers, which showcase the 1944 flashbacks and the film’s approximation of a young Indiana Jones. Harrison Ford, 80, is playing a 70-year-old version of Indy in the film’s main 1969 setting. But it seems Lucasfilm has improved its de-aging tech drastically. The de-aged shots in “Dial of Destiny” are essentially advanced deepfakes, with Lucasfilm using their extensive archive of Ford’s image to recreate his younger likeness.
Ford has spoken about how the de-aging shots in “Dial of Destiny” are different, in that they’re all based on these historical images of his face which are superimposed onto his actual performance. Now, in a Total Film interview, the actor revealed that he finds the de-aging tech to be, “an intriguing, useful, and extremely sophisticated story device.” That might have to do with the fact that, according to Ford, he still sees himself as a younger man. Asked whether he recognizes his older self in the de-aged shots, he said, “Yeah. In fact, when I look in the mirror, I still see that guy with brown hair.”
In the Total Film article, “Dial of Destiny” director James Mangold commented on Harrison Ford being an “incredibly gifted and agile” leading man. This bodes well, as while the de-aging certainly looks impressive thus far, its success will come down to whether Ford managed to sell his body movements enough to maintain the illusion while filming the scenes in question.
