‘De-aging’ AI Tech Will Let Tom Hanks Play His Younger Self In Upcoming Movie

With artificial intelligence (AI) infiltrating television stations to create  deepfaked comedies, it seems big-screen Hollywood isn’t far behind either. Soon, an upcoming movie by director Robert Zemeckis will see A-lister Tom Hanks star as his younger self using de-aging technology. 

According to Interesting Engineering, the deepfakes in Here, a live-action adaption of Richard McGuire’s graphic novel, will be created with a tool dubbed Metaphysic Live, which has previously been used on other celebrities such as Tom Cruise, allowing them to “star” as younger versions of themselves. 

The company’s new live tool will allow for high-resolution face swaps and de-aging effects to be added onto actors in real-time, forgoing the need for additional visual effects to be done behind the scenes. 

Calling the project an “industry-first,” Metaphysic said the movie will incorporate these hyperreal AI-generated face replacements into the fabric of its storyline, helping the actors go back in time in the “incredibly challenging, emotional film.” 

“Metaphysic is rapidly expanding the creative horizons of Hollywood and beyond. Our tools are cost-effective, movie-quality, and scalable—we are being forced to reimagine how visual media is produced,” said CEO Thomas Graham. 

[via Interesting Engineering and Metaphysic, cover image via Featureflash | Dreamstime.com]