Two-time Emmy winner Bruce Willis is still able to appear in films after selling his image rights to Russian company Deepcake last year ahead of his aphasia diagnosis.
Engineers at the AI-powered content optimization web platform created an ultra-realistic 4K “digital twin” of the German-born, New Jersey-raised 67-year-old by feeding 34K images of his face into their neural network.
In August 2021, Bruce’s twin made his debut by having his face “grafted” on understudy Konstantin Solovyov for a commercial for Russian telecom giant MegaFon.
Double shot: Two-time Emmy winner Bruce Willis is still able to appear in films after selling his image rights to Russian company Deepcake last year ahead of his aphasia diagnosis
It now only takes engineers “three to five days” to replicate Willis in projects, but his estate has final clearance for what was created.
“I liked the precision with which my character turned out. It’s a mini-movie in my usual action-comedy genre,” the Die Hard alum said in a statement on his website.
“For me it is a great opportunity to go back in time. With the advent of modern technology, I was able to communicate, work and take part in the filming even on another continent. It is a very new and interesting experience and I thank our entire team.”
Star Wars producers use deepfake technology for all of their cast members, and celebs like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Carrey, and Michelle Pfeiffer reportedly have digital copies.
“Extremely reduces budget”: Engineers at the AI-powered content optimization web platform created an ultra-realistic 4K “digital twin” of the German-born, New Jersey-raised 67-year-old by feeding 34K images of his face into their neural network
In action: In August 2021, Bruce’s twin made his debut by having his face ‘grafted’ on understudy Konstantin Solovyov for a commercial for Russian telecom giant MegaFon
“I liked the precision with which my character emerged”: It now only takes engineers “three to five days” to recreate Willis in projects, but his estate has final clearance for what was created
The Die Hard graduate said in a statement: “For me it’s a great opportunity to go back in time. With the advent of modern technology, I was able to communicate, work and take part in the filming even on another continent. It’s a very new and interesting experience’
Bruce – who has amassed over $9.4 billion worldwide for his films – has three other action thrillers in the can, which he filmed last year before being diagnosed with aphasia and subsequently retiring.
Aphasia is an inability to understand or formulate language due to damage to specific brain regions due to stroke, head trauma, brain tumor, brain infection, or neurodegenerative disease.
Next, Willis will play the veteran Detective James Knight in Edward Drake’s LA-based action thriller Detective Knight: Rogue, which hits US theaters October 21.
It’s not over yet! Bruce – who has amassed over $9.4 billion worldwide for his films – has three other action thrillers in the can, which he filmed last year before his aphasia diagnosis and subsequent retirement (pictured in 2021).
Think harder: Willis next plays veteran Detective James Knight in Edward Drake’s LA-set action thriller Detective Knight: Rogue, which hits US theaters October 21
#thatsawrap: The Independent Spirit Award nominee will star alongside Mustafa Shakir (L, pictured in 2021) in Jesse Atlas’ (R) directorial debut Die Like Lovers, based on his 15-minute short Let Them Die Like” is based on Lovers from 2017
The Independent Spirit Award-nominated actor will star alongside Mustafa Shakir in Jesse Atlas’ directorial debut Die Like Lovers, based on his 2017 15-minute short Let Them Die Like Lovers.
The body-hopping military strip also features Dominic Purcell and Nomzamo Mbatha.
Bruce (née Walter) also worked with John Travolta – his co-star in Pulp Fiction and the films Look Who’s Talking – on Chuck Russell’s Hawaiian action thriller Paradise City.
Reunited! Bruce also reunited with John Travolta (R, pictured 1994) – his co-star in Pulp Fiction and the films Look Who’s Talking – for Chuck Russell’s Hawaiian action thriller Paradise City
The 68-year-old Oscar nominee wrote on March 31, “Bruce and I became good friends when we shared two of our biggest hits together… Years later he said to me, ‘John I just want you to know the when and if.’ If anything good happens to you, I feel like it’s going to happen to me.’ He’s so generous. I love you Bruce’
“Bruce and I became good friends when we shared two of our biggest hits together,” the 68-year-old Oscar nominee wrote on March 31.
“Years later he said to me, ‘John, I just want you to know that when something good happens to you, I feel like it’s going to happen to me.'” He’s that generous. I love you Bruce.’
Some of Willis’ former employees told the Los Angeles Times in March that he had struggled on set for years.