Artificial intelligence technology that slows down aging in real time is demonstrated in the latest film by Tom Hanks and Robin Wright

Briefly: The use of AI in film remains a controversial issue, but in some cases the use of this technology seems more acceptable than others. For example, actors undergoing digital de-aging have been a common sight on the big screen for years, and never has the process been more advanced than in Robert Zemeckis’ new film Here, starring Tom Hanks and Robin Wright.

Here, based on the 2014 graphic novel, is shot from a single camera position across time, from the time dinosaurs roamed the earth to the present day. The story follows Hanks and Wright’s characters from their teenage years into old age, meaning there’s extensive use of AI-powered effects.

Turning Hanks, 68, and Wright, 58, into younger versions of themselves was the job of visual effects company Metaphysic. The firm’s facial modification system works by training machine learning models on footage from Hanks and Wright’s previous films, showing them at different ages, from different angles and in different lighting. It can be assumed that The Princess Bride and The Man with the Red Shoe were part of this library.

Unlike traditional de-aging effects that require extensive and time-consuming post-production, Metaphysical Live VFX technology instantly applies the de-aging effect to actors during filming by analyzing facial features and applying rejuvenated faces, hence the “Live” part. name.

Using Metaphysical Live meant that during the filming of Here, the crew could look at two monitors: one showing unaltered footage of the actors, and the other showing images of them at different ages.

What Hanks really looked like at 29

“This technology does not require dots on faces. It doesn’t require multiple witness cameras or any other intrusive technology,” said VFX supervisor Kevin Bailey. Diversity.

The roughly 40-minute running time of “Here” features older actors, including Kelly Reilly and Paul Bettany, who play Hank’s character’s parents, but the film still managed to stay within a relatively small budget of $45 million.

The use of modern computer graphics to digitally de-age movie stars has led to enormous success. advances in recent years – just look at the very unnatural looking “young” Jeff Bridges in 2010’s Tron: Legacy compared to today’s efforts like Robert De Niro in The Irishman and Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Doom.

While aging stars seems to be one of the less controversial uses of AI in the film industry, its ability to bring actors back from the dead is a hotter topic. In September it was reported that the company sue Disney due to the recreation of deceased actor Peter Cushing from Rogue One. Meanwhile, Robert Downey Jr. recently warned that his estate will sue any future executives who recreate his image after his death.