Tag: bruce
What’s Deepfake Bruce Willis Doing in My Metaverse?
Bruce Willis denies selling rights to his face
Bruce Willis sells rights to have deepfakes replace him in future films and ads
Bruce Willis may have retired from acting, but he will live on in future films thanks to deepfake technology. According to The Telegraph, the actor has sold his rights for future films and advertising campaigns to Deepcake, a company that creates “digital twins” of famous folks for use in commercial projects.
It’s the same kind of tech used in the Star Wars franchise to recreate the younger versions of actors, including Mark Hamill, and to create digital versions of Carrie Fisher after her death. Just last week, James Earl Jones approved the AI recreation of his voice on future projects as he eyes retirement.
In March 67-year-old Willis was diagnosed with aphasia, a language disorder stemming from brain damage that affects comprehension of written and spoken language and communication. By then, reports of his struggle to recall lines and cues had been circulating within the industry for some time.
Engadget reports that Willis worked with Deepcake on a 2021 ad for Russian telecom company Megafon, in which his face was swapped on to that of actor Konstantin Solovyov. Engineers used scenes from Die Hard and Fifth Element to create a likeness of Willis that lives on the company’s AI platform. Willis’s estate will have final approval on any future projects.
Deepfakes are a new and unregulated area of technology that’s already being used nefariously by scammers to spread misinformation. They have also been used to produce pornography without the consent of the subject and overall present a whole host of ethical and safety implications for celebrities and normal folks alike.
Bruce Willis Will Continue To Act In Future Projects, In Deepfake Form
Although Bruce Willis announced he is retiring from his acting career following an aphasia diagnosis earlier this year, the actor has reportedly sold his rights to allow for a sanctioned deepfake “digital twin” to live on and perform in future projects. According to The Telegraph, Willis–whose neurological disease limits speaking and understanding speech–has become the first Hollywood star to sell his rights to allow for upcoming performances without ever setting foot on a set.
Willis has been “hired” by American firm Deepcake, whose website has published a statement from Willis that in part reads: “It’s a great opportunity for me to go back in time… With the advent of the modern technology, I could communicate, work and participate in filming, even being on another continent.” Willis’ likeness will be used for future film, advertising, and other projects.
Deepcake engineers created the “digital twin” from content in Die Hard and Fifth Element, when Willis was 32 and 42, respectively. Willis’s estate has final approval on any projects. You can see for yourself what this idea looks like in an ad that was released last year for Megafon, the third largest telecom operator in Russia. Willis’s face was swapped onto actor Konstantin Solovyov.
A Bruce Willis deepfake will appear in his stead for future film projects
Bruce Willis may have retired from acting following a diagnosis of aphasia, but a version of him will live on in future projects. Last year, the actor’s “digital twin” appeared in an ad for a Russian telecom created by a company called Deepcake. Now, it’s being reported that he sold his rights for future film, advertising and other projects to Deepcake, according to the company’s website and The Telegraph.
Engineers created the digital double drawing from content in Die Hard and Fifth Element, when Willis was 32 and 42, respectively. With his likeness now on the company’s AI platform, it can graft his likeness onto another actor’s face in a relatively short amount of time. However, Willis’s estate has final approval on any projects.
In the ad for Megafon, Willis’s face was swapped onto actor Konstantin Solovyov. “I liked the precision of my character. It’s a great opportunity for me to go back in time,” Willis said in a statement on Deepcake. “With the advent of the modern technology, I could communicate, work and participate in filming, even being on another continent. It’s a brand new and interesting experience for me, and I grateful to our team.”
In March, Willis’s family announced that he was retiring from acting to due a diagnosis of aphasia, which impairs communication and comprehension. In the last few years, the 67-year-old has appeared in a series of projects amid concern about his cognitive state.
Actors have already appeared as digital versions of themselves, notably in The Book of Boba Fett with a young Mark Hamill. Digital versions of Carrie Fisher and Peter Cushing also appeared in Star Wars: Rogue One, despite the fact that both are deceased. James Earl Jones recently sold Disney the right to recreate his voice using AI, so he could retire.
The practice has stoked controversy. Deepfakes vary widely in quality, but many approach the “uncanny valley” where characters don’t look quite right because of stiff movements, dead eyes and other issues. There’s also the question of rights, as deceased actors can’t turn down posthumous film roles, even if the family or estate approves.
Bruce Springsteen announces new album, Only The Strong Survive
Here’s his version of “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)”
The post Bruce Springsteen announces new album, Only The Strong Survive appeared first on UNCUT.
One Liners: Bruce Springsteen, Warner Music, Arctic Monkeys, more
She-Hulk Director Explains Why Hulked Out Jen Doesn’t Look Like Bruce Banner
Now that you’ve seen the first two episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law on Disney+, you’ve become pretty familiar with what Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) looks like when she hulks out. You might be wondering, though, why her build looks practically nothing like that of a hulked-out Bruce Banner.
To find out the reasoning behind that–and She-Hulk’s design as a whole–GameSpot went directly to the source, director and series executive producer Kat Coiro. According to her, a lot of time was invested in figuring out exactly what She-Hulk would look like and the end result is due to a number of reasons.
“Part of the entire conception of the project is what does she look like? How does she move through the world? And it was really important,” Coiro explained. “We have Hulk, who is a monster–who is not of human proportions. And then we’re doing this show about a modern woman who’s navigating dating and her career and her family. And so we needed to make sure that we kept her at a human scale.”
She-Hulk reminds us that Bruce Banner and Tony Stark were friends, actually
Science Bros, 10 years later