Line #35 Main/DigitalDeaging


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9	[[quoteright:350:[[Film/AntManAndTheWasp https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/douglas_5.png]]]]
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11	Actors usually aren't the same age as the characters they play. That's just part of the craft. Maybe they're playing the part over a long period of time, maybe they're reprising the part in an earlier time period. But this creates a problem when audiences are expected to believe an actor who is portraying a character who is a good decade or two younger than the actor who plays them.
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13	For most of film history, the go-to tool for de-aging an actor has been makeup, to varying degrees of success. But modern innovations in CGI have allowed filmmakers to digitally de-age their actors, by digitally erasing wrinkles, mapping footage from the actor's youth onto the modern face, or some combination of the two. It's often a subtle variation of SerkisFolk--expect set images from films employing this technique to have actors' faces covered in plastic dots. It may also be combined with DigitalHeadSwap, placing the de-aged face on another actor entirely, usually a stunt double who can do things the older actor is no longer capable of or has the body proportions the character is supposed to have while the older actor doesn't have them anymore. It has allowed to mostly avoid the problems of FakeShemp in a number of modern works.
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15	As you might expect, this is primarily done for de-aging an adult actor into a younger adult -- de-aging an adult into a child takes significantly more work, and technology isn't quite there yet. However, de-aging a child into a younger child is not unheard of (''Film/ItChapterTwo'' de-aged its child actors two years to appear as they did in ''Film/It2017''). But it's unlikely that we'll see, for example, Creator/DrewBarrymore de-aged 45 years to match how she appeared as a child actress in ''Film/ETTheExtraTerrestrial''.
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17	When well-executed, it can be a nearly seamless visual effect. If done poorly, can be an example of the UnintentionalUncannyValley.
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20	!!Examples:
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23	[[folder:Advertising]]
24	* A Kia commercial aired during UsefulNotes/SuperBowl LII depicts [[Music/{{Aerosmith}} Steven Tyler]] driving a car in reverse and regressing in age (back to his heyday in the 1970s) in this fashion.
25	* Similarly, a 2006 commercial for Citroen showed Creator/SeanConnery driving a Citroen [=C6=] and gradually getting younger, and by the time he arrives at his destination, he looks the way he did during his 1960s heyday as Film/JamesBond.
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28	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
29	* ''Film/AmericanPastoral'' uses this on Creator/JenniferConnelly early in the film, making her appear as she did in ''Film/TheRocketeer''.
30	* ''Film/BladeRunner2049'' used this for a scene where a recreation of [[Creator/SeanYoung Rachael]] interacts with the aged Deckard.
31	* ''Film/Candyman2021'' utilizes this in its climax, with Creator/TonyTodd appearing exactly as he did in the first film.
32	* ''Film/Coming2America'': Creator/EddieMurphy and Creator/ArsenioHall, who already look fantastic for their respective ages here (58 and 63 at the time of filming), are de-aged by about 30 years for a flashback that expands upon the club scene from the [[Film/ComingToAmerica first film]].
33	* ''Film/TheCuriousCaseOfBenjaminButton'' used CGI to make Creator/BradPitt look both older ''and'' younger, depending on the scene.
34	* Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse: ''Film/{{Aquaman\|2018}}'' opens with a flashback that features de-aged versions of Arthur's parents, played by Creator/NicoleKidman and Creator/TemueraMorrison. Another flashback also does this with Creator/WillemDafoe's Vulko.
35	* ''Film/GeminiMan'' uses this to show an assassin played by Creator/WillSmith face off against a much younger clone of himself.
36	* This is used in ''Film/GrudgeMatch'' to show early matches between Billy "The Kid" [=McDonnen=] (Creator/RobertDeNiro) and Henry "Razor" Sharp (Creator/SylvesterStallone).
37	* ''Film/TheHobbitTheDesolationOfSmaug'' and ''Film/TheHobbitTheBattleOfTheFiveArmies'' both utilized this for Creator/OrlandoBloom's Legolas as this is set 60 years ''before'' [[Film/TheLordOfTheRings the previous trilogy]]. However, since elves do not age, they only needed to de-age him by the 10 years that had passed in real life.
38	* ''Film/IndianaJonesAndTheDialOfDestiny'' uses a variety of techniques collectively dubbed the ‘ILM Faceswap’ to de-age Creator/HarrisonFord as Indy for the opening flashback sequence set in 1944. The process reportedly took “[[https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/indiana-jones-5-dial-of-destiny-vfx-ilm-faceswap a hundred VFX artists]]” and machine learning to achieve the finished result.
39	* ''Film/TheIrishman'' uses this for long stretches of its runtime, allowing the septuagenarian Creator/RobertDeNiro, Creator/JoePesci and Creator/AlPacino to play characters in their 30s and 40s.
40	* ''Film/ItChapterTwo'' uses this on flashbacks of the younger Losers from ''Film/{{It\|2017}}''.
41	* ''Film/KingsmanTheGoldenCircle'' features a flashback with a de-aged Creator/ColinFirth.
42	* Often used in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse:
43	** Marvel's first foray into this treatment was actually with [[InvertedTrope the reverse of this effect]], as ''Film/CaptainAmericaTheWinterSoldier'' opted to age up Creator/HayleyAtwell digitally when the crew weren't satisfied with how aging her up with makeup made her look during tests.
44	** ''Film/AntMan1'' features a prologue where Hank Pym, as played by Creator/MichaelDouglas, is de-aged to look as the actor appeared in ''Film/WallStreet''. Its sequel, ''Film/AntManAndTheWasp'' (which illustrates this page with another Douglas example), uses the same technology on Creator/MichellePfeiffer's Janet Van Dyne, and Creator/LaurenceFishburne's Bill Foster.
45	** ''Film/CaptainAmericaCivilWar'' features a brief scene where Creator/RobertDowneyJr is de-aged to play a teenage Tony Stark.
46	** Creator/KurtRussell is de-aged to appear as a younger version of Star-Lord's father in flashbacks for ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxyVol2''.
47	** ''Film/{{Captain Marvel\|2019}}'' is set in the 1990s and used CGI to give virtually seamless de-aged portrayals of Creator/SamuelLJackson and Creator/ClarkGregg as Nick Fury and Phil Coulson, respectively.
48	** The late Creator/StanLee was digitally de-aged for his final cameo in ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', set in TheSeventies. In addition, the same approach that was taken with Peggy Carter in ''Captain America: The Winter Soldier'' was used to show [[spoiler:an elderly Steve Rogers who had returned from an alternate timeline where he got to live a full life with Peggy, after he'd returned the Infinity Stones and Thor's hammer to their proper timelines]].
49	** The younger Hank Pym briefly returns in ''Film/AvengersEndgame'', this time de-aged to look as Douglas appeared in 1970.
50	** In ''Series/WandaVision'', [[spoiler:Creator/KathrynHahn was digitally de-aged for her flashback scene in 1693.]]
51	** ''Film/SpiderManNoWayHome'': Creator/WillemDafoe and Creator/AlfredMolina reprise their roles as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus from ''Film/SpiderMan1'' and ''Film/SpiderMan2'' respectively, with de-aging tech being used to make them appear as they did in their debut films. [[spoiler: However, this trope is not used for Creator/ThomasHadenChurch (Sandman) or Creator/RhysIfans (The Lizard) when their characters are BroughtDownToNormal in the climax, as the movie instead used StockFootage from ''Film/SpiderMan3'' and ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderMan'', respectively, for those scenes.]]
52	* ''Film/PeeWeesBigHoliday'' used a combination of this and make-up to make Creator/PaulReubens appear as he did in the previous Pee-wee films.
53	* ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMenTellNoTales'' uses this for a flashback scene of a young Jack Sparrow.
54	* ''Film/Scream2022'' uses this to show [[spoiler: Creator/SkeetUlrich as Billy Loomis]], the same age [[spoiler: he]] was in the [[Film/Scream1996 first film]], as [[spoiler: the hallucinations of his daughter, Sam]].
55	* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
56	** ''Film/RogueOne'', which was set just before ''Film/ANewHope'', has a brief appearance by Creator/CarrieFisher's Princess Leia, as she appeared in that film, with Ingvild Deila as stand-in.
57	** ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'' features a brief flashback of a younger Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, with the characters appearing as they did around the time of ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi''. As Carrie Fisher had passed away by this point, her daughter Creator/BillieLourd acted as her stand-in.
58	* ''Franchise/{{Terminator}}'':
59	** The T-800 from ''Film/TerminatorSalvation'' was made by scanning a model made from a [[PropRecycling mold that was used all the way back]] for ''Film/TheTerminator'' then overlaying the face of bodybuilder Roland Kickinger with it, and not by digitally making Arnold's face younger.
60	** ''Film/TerminatorGenisys'' used CGI to have the 1984 T-800 (played by bodybuilder Brett Azar with a de-aged Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger's [[DigitalHeadSwap face overlayed on his body]]) face off against one played by Arnold in his 70s.
61	** ''Film/TerminatorDarkFate'' brought Azar back to reprise his role as a T-800 circa 1998, with Maddy Curley as a young Sarah Connor and Jude Collie as a young John, also via DigitalHeadSwap.
62	* In ''Film/TronLegacy'', CGI was used to make Creator/JeffBridges look as he appeared 28 years prior. While these scenes are few in number (some of which also have a de-aged Creator/BruceBoxleitner as Tron), CLU keeps this very appearance while Kevin Flynn appears as an older man.
63	* In ''Film/{{Waterworld}}'', Creator/KevinCostner forced the VFX crew to digitally hide his receding hairline.
64	* Film/XMenFilmSeries:
65	** In ''Film/XMenTheLastStand'', CGI was used to de-age Creator/PatrickStewart and Creator/IanMcKellen for a flashback in which they first meet Jean Grey.
66	** ''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'' also used this for Patrick Stewart's cameo at the end of the movie.
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69	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
70	* ''Series/{{CSINY}}'': During "[[Recap/CSINYS06E02 Blacklist]]", Gary Sinise plays his character, Mac Taylor, in a 15-20 year flashback to him in Chicago right before getting out of the Marines and joining the NYPD. CGI and lighting were used, along with sepia tones.
71	* ''Series/JimmyKimmelLive'': [[MilestoneCelebration During the show's 20th anniversary special in 2023]], Creator/JimmyKimmel interacted with a digitally-recreated incarnation of himself from 2003.
72	* ''Series/StarTrekPicard'':
73	** After ''Film/StarTrekNemesis'', Creator/BrentSpiner was uninterested in playing Data onscreen, believing he'd grown too old to play an ageless android, only appearing as a voice in the ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' finale "These Are The Voyages...". Thanks to advancements in digital deaging, he agreed to play Data again, appearing in Picard's dreams in season 1.
74	** Season 2 does this when [[spoiler:the immortal Q appears looking exactly like he did in ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration''. Then he alters his appearance to mock how much older Picard has become, looking like Creator/JohnDeLancie does now. He then maintains the old appearance throughout the rest of the season.]]
75	** Season 3 features various flashbacks which, in addition to practical effects like makeup and wigs/hair dye, lightly de-ages the various TNG characters anywhere from 1-2 decades, depending on when the flashback in question takes place.
76	* ''Franchise/StarWars'':
77	** ''Series/TheMandalorian'': Season 2 ends with [[spoiler:Luke Skywalker coming to the rescue of Mando, Grogu & co. Creator/MarkHamill's de-aged face was put on the body of stand-in Max Lloyd-Jones.]] The de-aged character returned in ''Series/TheBookOfBobaFett'', looking far more accurate this time.
78	*** The last episode of Season 3 features [[spoiler:Force-sensitive clones of Moff Gideon. All of them sport Creator/GiancarloEsposito's younger face.]] This wasn't the first time that the actor had his face de-aged, however: similar trick was done for one episode of non-linear Netflix show ''Kaleidoscope''.
79	** ''Series/ObiWanKenobi'' Part V features flashbacks of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker set just before ''Film/AttackOfTheClones''. While the crew did make attempts to digitally de-age Creator/EwanMcGregor and Creator/HaydenChristensen, the results were...[[SpecialEffectFailure not great]]. (For one, Anakin still has noticeable facial wrinkles, making him look much older than nineteen, his age at the time.)
80	** ''Series/{{Ahsoka}}'': Hayden is de-aged again, this time looking much more like he did in the prequel trilogy.
81	* ''Series/TwinPeaks: the Return'' features a scene where Agent Cooper [[spoiler:saves Laura Palmer, with Sheryl Lee made youthful through a combination of CGI and lighting]].
82	* Season 1 of ''Series/{{Westworld}}'' used CGI in flashbacks to show a youthful version of the character played by Creator/AnthonyHopkins. It's helped along by only appearing for a few seconds of screen time, and the character not speaking.
83	* ''BMF'' bizarrely has Music/{{Eminem}}, then aged 49, [[CelebrityCameo cameo]] as White Boy Rick, with digital deaging to make him look like a seventeen year old.
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86	[[folder:Music]]
87	* In 2021, Music/{{ABBA}} reunited to record a new album, ''Music/{{Voyage\|2021}}''. They digitally recreated themselves as they looked in the late 1970s for their music videos. Notably, Björn Ulvaes and Benny Andersson, both of whom were bearded at this point, had to shave their beards in order to get digitally scanned. It was especially tough for Benny, as he'd been bearded since the time ABBA had originally started.
88	* The music video for Music/BillyJoel's 2024 single "Turn The Lights Back On" depicts Joel at different points in his career from his start in the 1970s to the 2020s.
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91	[[folder:Video Games]]
92	* Ellie's face in ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUs'' is based off Creator/AshleyJohnson, her voice actress, deaged to look like a teen.
93	* For the DLC characters Franchise/{{Terminator}}, Franchise/RoboCop and Franchise/{{Rambo}}, VideoGame/MortalKombat11 features the likenesses of Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger, Creator/PeterWeller and Creator/SylvesterStallone de-aged to when they first portrayed their respective characters.
94	** VideoGame/MortalKombat1 also does this for Creator/JeanClaudeVanDamme as a Premium Skin for Johnny Cage, reverting his age to around the time that Film/{{Bloodsport}} was filmed.
95	[[/folder]]

Context Main / DigitalDeaging