Indiana Jones Star Harrison Ford Reveals Secrets of Lucasfilm's Digital De-Aging for Sequel

The long-awaited fifth Indiana Jones movie is being released this year, and the film is expected to feature a de-aged Harrison Ford in the opening sequence. When the trailer for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was released, fans were pleasantly surprised by how good the de-aging looked. During a recent interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Ford explained how they de-aged him for the film.

"That is my actual face. At that age," Ford shared. "They have this artificial intelligence program. It can go through every foot of film Lucasfilm owns, because I did a bunch of movies for them. They have all this footage, including film that wasn't printed ... They could mine it from where the light is coming from, the expression. But that's my actual face. I put little dots on my face and I say the words and they make it. It's fantastic."

"My hope is that, although it will be talked about in terms of technology, you just watch it and go, 'Oh my God, they just found footage. This was a thing they shot 40 years ago,'" Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy previously told Empire. "We're dropping you into an adventure, something Indy is looking for, and instantly you have that feeling, 'I'm in an Indiana Jones movie.'" 

Why Did Harrison Ford Want To Return For Indiana Jones 5?

"I always wanted to do it," Ford shared with Variety of what drew him to the sequel. "I wanted to do the rest of the story to see the end of his career." However, the fifth installment will finally bring Indy's journey to a close, with Ford sharing, "It's the last time for me."

In addition to Ford, franchise newcomers will include Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Solo: A Star Wars Story), Mads Mikkelsen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Boyd Holbrook (Logan), Thomas Kretschmann (King Kong), Shaunette Renée Wilson (The Resident), and Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory). The movie will also see the return of John Rhys-Davies as Sallah. 

Who Is Directing Indiana Jones 5?

Originally, Steven Spielberg was supposed to return to helm the fifth installment, but Logan director James Mangold ended up taking over the project

"James Mangold has done an unbelievable job with Indy," Kathleen Kennedy told ComicBook.com during Star Wars Celebration. "And he and Harrison [Ford] have an incredible relationship and I think the fans are just going to love what he's created. It's fantastic."

"I'm thrilled to be starting a new adventure, collaborating with a dream team of all-time great filmmakers," Mangold said in a statement when the film was first announced. "Steven, Harrison, Kathy, Frank, and John are all artistic heroes of mine. When you add Phoebe, a dazzling actor, brilliant creative voice, and the chemistry she will undoubtedly bring to our set, I can't help but feel as lucky as Indiana Jones himself."

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is expected to hit theaters on June 30th.