Indiana Jones 5 is officially underway and leaked images from the set may reveal an element of the film’s de-aging process which appears to be significantly different from the Star Wars approach. James Mangold, the esteemed Logan director, will take his turn in directing Harrison Ford in the final entry to Indiana Jones’ epic saga, scheduled for release in 2022. Looking to end the franchise on a better note than Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, it seems this new film will feature at least one flashback sequence. This sequence takes audiences back to Indy’s bouts with the Nazis, with Indy donning a Nazi uniform and riding a motorcycle.
Images and video of this Indiana Jones 5 flashback sequence filmed on the North Yorkshire Moors are highly reminiscent of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The most interesting element of the video is the reveal of Indy’s stunt actor wearing a highly realistic de-aged Harrison Ford mask, with Ford himself nowhere in sight. While this is not too much of a surprise given that Ford will turn 80 in 2022, the use of the mask is different from how Disney of late has pursued de-aging, specifically with Star Wars properties.
In the past, and even recently, Star Wars has opted to do entirely CGI de-aging, such as the season 2 finale of The Mandalorian featuring a de-aged Luke Skywalker. It's led to mixed results. With Indiana Jones 5, the use of the practical mask may just be a cost-effective solution for quick shots of a young Indiana Jones during flashback sequences, but it may also indicate a larger decision to apply practical de-aging effects at a foundational level. Surely there will be CGI incorporated at a later time to solidify the de-aged Indy, but the foundation of a highly realistic mask may provide VFX artists an easier time executing the final result.
Perhaps this decision comes after the de-aging used in previous Lucasfilm projects has been hit and miss. While it has been several years since some of the more atrocious renders, even The Mandalorian’s de-aged Luke had issues. These issues, in particular, may have arisen from the attempt at an extravagant “deep-fake.” While the results were not awful, there was still a plastic-like quality to the character and an oddly stiff mouth. This happened because Mark Hamill himself was not the actor delivering the performance; instead, it was a secondary actor whose face was face was overlaid with Mark Hamill’s.
This technique can be particularly tricky when the secondary actor’s face does not exactly match up with that of the primary actor. It’s possible that could still be the case for Indiana Jones 5, as it was rumored that the production did have difficulties finding adequate stunt actors for Harrison Ford. Instead of attempting the expensive and complex task of completely replacing the stunt double’s face, Mangold may have come up with the solution to combine the best parts of practical de-aging and CGI. If this solution proves effective it may be used significantly, if not also throughout multiple Star Wars properties moving forward.
As mentioned, Ford will be 80 years old next year so it makes sense that the production would find ways to let Ford’s stunt double do much of the heavy lifting. These ultra-real masks should make exceptional foundations for later VFX artists to embellish and really make come to life. There is also the possibility that masks such as these will not be limited to de-aging, but also assist stunt performers to double for current-day Harrison Ford. Nonetheless, this practical approach to de-aging in Indiana Jones 5 has great potential to create highly realistic flashback sequences that will surely benefit the overall film.
