The Irishman images CG de-age Robert De Niro - and it’s weird. For over 5 decades, De Niro’s work has resulted in numerous accolades, rave critical reviews and a body of work that is among the best that cinema has to offer.
Now 76-years-old, De Niro shows no signs of stopping or slowing down, and although there have been stretches where his films didn’t hit their mark either critically or financially, the fact of the matter is that De Niro is synonymous with a level of acting that most can only ever dream of attaining. A good portion of some of the most revered titles on his resume came courtesy of another cinematic legend, Martin Scorsese. Together, the two have teamed up for several of Hollywood’s most legendary films, such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull and Goodfellas, to name just a few. It’s been 24 years since Scorsese and De Niro last worked together on 1995’s Casino, but now, with the upcoming release of Scorsese’s The Irishman, fans of the duo are extremely eager to see what sort of magic the reunited pair can create.
Part of the cinematic magic that we already know will take place in The Irishman is the de-aging of De Niro. As the film recounts the life and times of hitman Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran (De Niro), Scorsese has utilised the CG de-aging technique to give us insight into Sheeran’s life throughout the years. The end effect is surprising, to say the least, and the film’s official Twitter account has now released a handful of images of De Niro at different stages of the character’s life. You can check them out, below.
In addition to De Niro, those who have been following Scorsese’s career over the years will also notice some other familiar faces in The Irishman. Joe Pesci and Al Pacino will star in the new film, with Pacino playing Jimmy Hoffa, the famed American labour union leader whose disappearance has been shrouded in mystery since 1975. The Irishman looks at the lengthy career of hitman Sheeran, with his work for the Bufalino crime family being recounted by De Niro. Allegedly responsible for numerous murders and disappearances, Sheeran’s extensive crime resume will detail Hoffa’s demise. The film is based on the non-fiction book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt, and was adapted by Oscar-winning screenwriter Steve Zaillian. It has also been reported that The Irishman utilized a budget of $159 million, making it the highest budgeted Scorsese film of all time. Considering the CG technology used to de-age Ne Niro as well as the illustrious cast involved (Pesci came out of retirement after what was rumoured to be much persuasion), the cost of the film makes sense.
So far, there has been much talk about the technology used to de-age De Niro. Some argue that it’s been overdone and that De Niro’s younger self looks fake or far too animated. These criticisms seem to miss the mark, however. Today’s audiences are far too accustomed to seeing De Niro as he currently is. Faced with a younger version of the star as seen in The Irishman, the first impulse is often to claim that it doesn’t look real. But anyone who has ever looked at a photograph of an elderly person at a young age often feels the same as well. For what it’s worth, a look back at De Niro’s younger self in films like The Godfather Part II or Taxi Driver will quickly prove this to be the case.
Source: Netflix/Twitter