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, which might have something to do with the fact they hired that YouTuber that did a better job than them of deepfaking back in 2021. 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.”
Considering Harrison Ford hasn’t shied away from doing his own stunts in “Dial of Destiny,” while also throwing himself into some intense horse-riding action as part of his “1923” TV series, it’s not all that surprising the 80-year-old still sees himself as a younger man. De-aging technology might have a surreal aspect to it, but it seems Ford found some kind of affirmation in seeing his performance as an octogenarian rendered in a younger-looking body.
