Harrison Ford was made to look young in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny through advanced digital de-aging technology developed by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). The process involved several key techniques:
- ILM used a proprietary FaceSwap technology combined with CGI, machine learning, and geometry derived from photography to create a photorealistic younger version of Ford for a 25-minute flashback sequence
- On set, Ford wore motion capture dots on his face, and multiple cameras, including infrared ones, captured detailed facial performance data. This data was used to build a CG mask that could be applied to his face in every frame
- The team used machine learning to scour decades of archived footage of Ford from previous Indiana Jones films to gather detailed reference images, enabling them to replicate his younger appearance accurately
- Ford also performed the scenes himself, providing the facial expressions and physicality, which were then digitally altered to appear as his 39-year-old self from the original 1981 film
- The de-aging process took about three years to complete and involved a team of around 100 artists working shot-by-shot to ensure realism and continuity
In summary, a combination of motion capture, AI-driven face replacement, extensive archival footage analysis, and CGI artistry was used to make Harrison Ford look 40 years younger in the film, creating a seamless and believable youthful Indiana Jones