Tom Hanks and Robin Wright Set to Be Digitally De-Aged in Robert Zemeckis Film HERE Based on Comic Book
Last year, we reported that director Robert Zemeckis is taking on the film adaptation of Richard McGuire's graphic novel Here at Miramax. He is bringing back his Forrest Gump stars, Tom Hanks and Robin Wright, as well as its writer, Eric Roth.
Based on McGuire’s graphic novel, Here is described as a breathtaking and revolutionary odyssey through time and memory. The innovative story is centered around a place in New England where from wilderness, and then, later, a home – love, loss, struggle, hope and legacy play out between couples and families over generations.
Now we have word that the story will see Hanks and Wright as their younger selves. Zemeckis talked about the tech they’ll use to make this happen in a press release:
"I've always been attracted to technology that helps me to tell a story. With HERE, the film simply wouldn't work without our actors seamlessly transforming into younger versions of themselves. Metaphysic's AI tools do exactly that, in ways that were previously impossible! Having tested every flavor of face replacement and de-aging technology available today, Metaphysic are clearly the global leaders in feature-quality AI content and the perfect choice for this incredibly challenging, emotional film."
Joanna Popper, Chief Metaverse Officer, CAA, added:
"Metaphysic are industry leaders in using generative AI and machine learning to create photorealistic Hollywood-quality content, combined with their ethics-first approach and thought leadership they unlock an incredible opportunity for the entertainment industry and beyond. Artificial intelligence will have a transformative impact on content creation and intellectual property. CAA has always been at the forefront of new technological frontiers and we are excited to work with Metaphysic in bringing the most exciting opportunities to our clients and the industry."
Thomas Graham, CEO and Co-founder of Metaphysic also mentioned:
"Metaphysic is rapidly expanding the creative horizons of Hollywood and beyond. Our tools are cost-effective, movie-quality and scalable – we are being forced to reimagine how visual media is produced. With the support of CAA and by working on projects like "Here," Metaphysic is demonstrating the transformative power of hyperreal AI to shape the future of entertainment and to eventually help people create AI-generated, photorealistic immersive content while they own and control their data."
Zemeckis and Jack Rapke’s ImageMovers (Flight, Polar Express, Cast Away) will produce alongside Block (The Gentlemen, Fury, upcoming The Holdovers). Miramax’s Block called it “a privilege to serve the vision of these renowned creators. We look forward to bringing this unique visual and emotional experience to the world.”
The film has also cast Kelly Reilly (Yellowstone) and Paul Bettany (A Beautiful Mind, WandaVision). Here went into production last fall, and we should be hearing about a release date soon.