Deepfakes and De-aging: Will Movie Stars Ever Age Again?
Imagine scrolling through Instagram and seeing Tom Hanks warning you about a deepfake video of him promoting a dental plan. Known for his whimsical posts, Hanks suddenly shifts gears, raising concerns about AI technology. As Hollywood dives deeper into de-aging tech for films, stars like Hanks face a new digital reality. But is this technological marvel a dream come true or a nightmare in disguise?
How would it feel to see our favorite actors forever preserved in their prime, never aging, always perfect? This question dances on the edge of excitement and unease, much like the unsettling posts that appeared on Tom Hanks’ Instagram in October 2023. Known for sharing whimsical content about lost gloves and socks in New York, which he described as “visual haikus” of “loneliness in the Big City,” Hanks suddenly shifted gears to warn his followers about the dangers of deepfakes.
“BEWARE!!” Hanks wrote, cautioning about a video where an AI-generated version of him was promoting a dental plan. He firmly disassociated himself from the clip, quelling the fears of his fans who were baffled by this unexpected career turn. His warning underscored a new reality in our digital age, one where technology can create eerily convincing replicas of people without their consent.
As the year 2024 dawned, Tom Hanks found himself once again confronting this technological marvel, but this time, it was in the realm of cinema. Hanks was cast in Robert Zemeckis’ new film, Here, a project that would require him to collaborate with the same AI technology that had caused him grief just months earlier.
Robert Zemeckis, the visionary director behind the Back to the Future trilogy and key Hanks’ films like Forrest Gump and Cast Away, was set to direct Here, based on Richard McGuire’s graphic novel. The story unfolds from a single perspective, traversing decades in a single room. To fit the film’s unique temporal demands, Hanks and his Forrest Gump co-star Robin Wright were to be de-aged using AI technology. This technique would make them look as youthful as they did during the filming of Sleepless in Seattle, despite being in their late sixties.
This wasn’t an isolated case. In 2023’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, audiences saw Harrison Ford magically rejuvenated for the film’s opening scenes. With his hair darker and wrinkles softened, it felt as though we were watching the Indiana Jones of the eighties, with fans half-expecting Sean Connery to reprise his role as Henry Jones from beyond the grave.
The magic of de-aging technology lies in its ability to evoke nostalgia. Seeing Tom Hanks and Robin Wright together again pulls at our heartstrings, reminding us of their unforgettable chemistry in Forrest Gump. Similarly, the rejuvenated Harrison Ford took us back to the thrilling days of the original Indiana Jones trilogy. It’s akin to ABBA’s Voyage tour, where the band members appeared on stage as their younger selves, delighting fans with a visual trip back to nineteen seventy-nine.
Yet, this very nostalgia-driven technology carries an inherent risk. Imagine if this de-aging magic became commonplace, much like other special effects that have seamlessly integrated into our cinematic experiences. The charm and sentimentality we associate with the original films could vanish. Had Harrison Ford been de-aged for sequels in every subsequent decade, the unique nostalgia tied to the first films would have faded.
The use of de-aging AI could strip movie stars of their natural evolution, something fans cherish. For instance, Hugh Grant’s transition from the endearing, bumbling romantic lead in films like Notting Hill and Four Weddings and a Funeral to his delightful role in Paddington 2 would be lost. We love to see actors grow and take on new challenges, adding layers to their careers. If they remain perpetually youthful, their characters might lose the very qualities that make them beloved.
Consider this - if all our favorite actors stayed forever young, we’d miss out on witnessing their growth and transformation. It’s like wanting to keep a tree as a sapling forever. While it might remain cute and small, it would never grow into the majestic presence it’s meant to be, offering shade, beauty, and strength through the years. Similarly, seeing an actor age and evolve allows us to appreciate their journey and the various stages of their careers.
Tom Hanks might need to revisit his Instagram warning, not just to caution about unauthorized AI-generated ads but to address filmmakers like Zemeckis, who are pioneering this technology. While AI de-aging can be captivating now, its widespread use could erode the very nostalgia it seeks to evoke. If every film features eternally youthful stars, the special magic of reminiscing about past performances might disappear.
We need to consider the long-term impact. If our cinematic icons never age, we lose the opportunity to reflect on their journey, to see the full arc of their careers, and to appreciate the passage of time through their performances. As audiences, we connect deeply with this sense of progression and change.
So, as we marvel at the wonders of de-aging technology and the doors it opens for storytelling, we must ask ourselves: Is it worth sacrificing the authenticity and nostalgia that make cinema so deeply resonant? In our quest to preserve youth on screen, are we inadvertently robbing ourselves of the richness that comes with seeing our favorite stars age and evolve? As we stand on the brink of this new cinematic era, it’s a question worth pondering.
References
Breznican, A. (2024, June 25). “Here”: Robert Zemeckis’s New Movie Spans a Century, but the Camera Never Moves. Vanity Fair.
Holliday, C. (2021). Retroframing the future: digital de-aging technologies in contemporary hollywood cinema. JCMS: Journal of Cinema and Media Studies, 61(5), 210–237.
Staff, G. (2023, October 2). Tom Hanks says AI version of him used in dental plan ad without his consent. The Guardian.
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