We recently learned that James Earl Jones had given Lucasfilm permission to use recordings of his voice to artificially recreate Darth Vader's unique vocals through the use of A.I. technology. Now, the Sith Lord can live on for years to come, sounding exactly as he did in the original Star Wars movies.
We've already seen visual effects used to "resurrect" actors, of course, but The Telegraph is reporting that Die Hard legend Bruce Willis just became the first to sell the rights to his likeness.
Now, what's described as a "digital twin" can be created for use on screen. This comes after the actor announced his plans to step away from acting earlier this year after being diagnosed with aphasia. That causes a person to have trouble with reading, listening, speaking, or writing, and is already believed to have had an impact on one of his final performances.
Deepfake technology has now been used to have him appear in a phone advert without ever actually being on set, and it's possible the actor hopes his likeness will be utilised in future when he is unable to perform. We'd assume Willis and his family would have to give permission, of course, and that some company can't now do whatever they want with his face!
In a statement shared on his website, Willis said: "I liked the precision with which my character turned out. It’s a mini-movie in my usual action-comedy genre. For me, it is a great opportunity to go back in time."
"With the advent of modern technology, even when I was on another continent, I was able to communicate, work and participate in the filming. It’s a very new and interesting experience, and I thank our entire team."
This is an interesting development and one we could see become commonplace in Hollywood. While deepfake technology still isn't quite perfect, it's advancing at a rapid pace, and there are already concerns regarding how it could be abused.
What do you guys make of this news?