New Gemini Man featurette explores digital creation of a second Will Smith

July 24th 2019, 11:28am

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Everyone on all sides of the industry – from the fans to the suits – knows there’s only one Will Smith. But what if there were, in fact, two Will Smiths? It goes without saying one would have to eliminate the other, and that concept forms the basis for the new sci-fi thriller GEMINI MAN from director Ang Lee, which finds Smith going toe-to-toe with a younger version of himself. A new featurette for the movie explores how the visual effects team worked to create this digital, younger version of Smith, which had the team working with the actor’s motion-capture performance, and no doubt required episodes of FRESH PRINCE OF BEL-AIR to be played on an endless loop.

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Facial de-aging technology has become more and more prevalent in movies over the years, starting off small, like taking a few years off Michael Douglas in ANT-MAN. Now we’re to the point where movies like GEMINI MAN and Martin Scorsese’s upcoming THE IRISHMAN feature entire performances from younger-looking versions of veteran actors.

As VFX supervisor Bill Westenhoffer explains in the featurette, this is not simply of matter of shaving off a decade or two from Smith’s face. “This is not de-aging. This is not face replacement,” he said. “What you see for Junior is completely a digital creation, 100 percent driven by Will Smith’s performance capture.”

Along with Smith, the movie stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Benedict Wong and Clive Owen, with a script from David Benioff (GAME OF THRONES), Billy Ray (CAPTAIN PHILLIPS) and Darren Lemke (SHAZAM!).

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Here's the synopsis:

Gemini Man is an innovative action-thriller starring Will Smith as Henry Brogan, an elite assassin, who is suddenly targeted and pursued by a mysterious young operative that seemingly can predict his every move. The film is directed by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Ang Lee and produced by renown producers Jerry Bruckheimer, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger.

GEMINI MAN is in theaters October 11.