Will Smith Talks About De-Aging in Ang Lee's 'Gemini Man'

De-Aging on-screen seems to be the way to go for films right now. After the trailer of The Irishman was released showing a digitally young Robert De Niro, it is the upcoming film Gemini Man, which will be showing a digitally young Will Smith.

Of course, not that the actor isn't young by his looks per se. But the script of Gemini Man needed Smith to be himself in one frame and a young-self in the other. In an interview at the red carpet screening of the film, Smith joked, "I would go back to [1999’s] ‘Wild Wild West,’ and I would say, ‘a–hole why didn’t you do ‘The Matrix’?'” 

“Them young boys, they can’t handle that old man swag,” Smith said. “The young boys, they ain’t got nothing on this. I’m 50 and fine. You know, there’s nothing they can do with it.”

“The first shot I saw was [when] the older character (Henry) flips [his younger clone] — it’s always weird — old Will flips young Will,” he told Variety. “There is a shot where the flashlight comes up onto his face. It is one of the best digital shots of the movie.”

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer told Variety that Lee was initially doubtful he could catch up with the movie’s digital ambition.

“Ang wasn’t even sure himself if he could pull it off,” Bruckheimer said. “It’s very difficult, the digital part of it was very hard. We had to create a full, digital human being, based on Will at 23-years-old. It was nerve-wracking until we saw some tests and then knew he could do it.

Bruckheimer, however, had no doubts in Lee’s abilities. “I had total confidence in [Lee], and he did it,” he said. “You never know until it’s done. We’re excited to be here. Finally, the film is actually finished.”