Harrison Ford has defended the use of de-ageing technology in the latest Indiana Jones film.
The actor, 80, has returned for his final outing as the adventurous archaeologist in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this week.
While the film predominantly shows Indiana at the same age as Ford, the film opens with a 25-minute flashback sequence featuring a younger Indy, played by Ford, with the help of digital de-ageing technology.
The practice attracted criticism from a number of reviewers, who questioned the believability of the technology and why a younger actor couldn’t be used in Ford’s place. You can read The Independent’s review of Dial of Destiny here.
However, speaking at a press conference on Friday (19 May), Ford defended the decision.
“I know that that is my face,” he said, as reported by Entertainment Weekly. “It’s not a kind of Photoshop magic – that’s what I looked like 35 years ago. Because Lucasfilm has every frame of film that we’ve made together over all of these years.
“This process, this scientific mining of this library, this was put to good [use]... It’s just a trick unless it’s supported by a story, and it sticks out like a sore thumb if it’s not honest, it’s not real... I mean, emotionally real. And so I think it was used very skillfully.”
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny was well received at Cannes, with Ford growing visibly emotional at the premiere.
“Tearing up” as he was shown a highlights reel from his career, the Star Wars actor said: “They say when you’re about to die, you see your life flash before your eyes. I just saw my life before my eyes.
“I’m very moved by this… But I got a movie you ought to see. It’s right behind me. So let me get out of the way and thank you again for this.”
Elsewhere, Ford had a predictably deadpan response after being told by a reporter that he was still “very hot”.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will be released in UK cinemas on 28 June.
