Bruce Willis

The actor is retiring following his aphasia diagnosis, but his likeness will live on via AI after he sold the rights to it to a deepfake company.

In a statement published on Deepcake’s [website](https://deepcake.io/), Willis said: The actor has partnered with Deepcake, a company specializing in artificial intelligence that will create Willis’ digital twin, who will appear in films after his retirement due to the cognitive disorder, which affects a person’s ability to communicate. It’s a great opportunity for me to go back in time.

Instead, he will license his digital rights through a company called Deepcake. The company is based in Tbilisi, Georgia, and is doing business in America while ...

[Apocalypse](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocalypse_(video_game)) that involved [digitizing his face](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LACLhvGsKI) and capturing the motion of his body as he acted out scenes. James Earl Jones [did so recently](https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/09/james-earl-jones-signed-darth-vader-voice-rights-to-disney-for-ai-use/) with his voice for Darth Vader. Instead, he will license his digital rights through a company called [Deepcake.](https://deepcake.io/) The company is based in Tbilisi, Georgia, and is doing business in America while being registered as a corporation in Delaware. Deepfakes have become popular in recent years on TikTok, with unauthorized deepfakes of [Tom Cruise](https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/06/tech/tom-cruise-deepfake-tiktok-company) and [Keanu Reeves](https://www.dailydot.com/debug/unreal-keanu-reeves-ai-deepfake/) gathering large followings. Looking deeper, the concept of having a "digital twin" isn't new to Willis, either. You pay for endorsement contract with the celeb's agent, and a fee for Deepcake's services.

In groundbreaking form, Die Hard's Bruce Willis has opened the door for other Hollywood stars to legally lend their image to Deepfakes.

Sources point to Willis being quite happy with the decision to prolong his career unofficially in this form while making some money as well, so maybe some fans will be hoping to see John McClane return in some form in the near future promoting all kinds of products. Willis' career and public appearances started fading after a later period of his career working on direct-to-video projects, with Glass perhaps being his final big movie. The deal follows [Willis' health struggles after being diagnosed with aphasia](https://gamerant.com/bruce-willis-aphasia-acting-retirement/) back in March, a language disorder that impairs cognitive ability and impacts basic communication skills such as speaking, listening, reading, and writing, although the buying party did put out an official statement from the man himself. For me, it is a great opportunity to go back in time.” So definitely fitting words given his rare health condition. Deepfake Willis appears to have made his debut in an ad for a Russian communications company, and though some will find something is “off” in the CGI rendition, it admittedly does look like a younger version of Willis. [action](https://gamerant.com/tag/action/) star Willis has become the first Hollywood name to sell the rights to his likeness for future usage in Deepfake-enabled productions.

The iconic Hollywood star retired earlier this year due to his tragic diagnosis with aphasia, but deepfakes mean we might still see more from him.

But for the sake of both actors and moviegoers: let's not have our stars replaced by lifeless reconstructions. "With the advent of the modern technology, I could communicate, work and participate in filming, even being on another continent. It’s not the first time deepfake adjacent tech has cropped up in movies. The neural network was trained on content of ‘Die Hard’ and ‘Fifth Element’, so my character is similar to the images of that time," Willis said. "I liked the precision of my character. And look: in a chintzy phone ad only half paid attention to by audiences, sure, it’s convincing enough.

A statement from Bruce Willis, who has partnered with deepfake company Deepcake, said he sees it as "a great opportunity" to "go back in time."

In a statement from the actor shared on [Deepcake's website](https://deepcake.io/), the 67-year-old expressed a hope that the technology could provide him a way to keep working. However, as the technology has developed and become more sophisticated, more experts have expressed concern for how it could spread misinformation and spark serious threats to the public. "It's a great opportunity for me to go back in time. Trump never made that speech, however – it was a sophisticated deepfake. Representatives for the actor did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. "It's a brand new and interesting experience for me."

Bruce Willis has sold deepfake rights for future films and advertising campaigns to Deepcake, a company that creates "digital twins" for use in commercial ...

By then, reports of his [struggle to recall lines and cues](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-03-30/bruce-willis-aphasia-memory-loss-cognitive-disorder) had been circulating within the industry for some time. Engadget reports that Willis worked with Deepcake on a 2021 ad for Russian telecom company Megafon, in which his face was swapped on to that of actor Konstantin Solovyov. [films](https://mashable.com/category/film) thanks to deepfake technology.

The retired actor was able to appear in a Russian commercial without ever stepping on set.

While the technology worked for a commercial, where a celebrity’s mere presence is often enough to make an impact, it’s unclear if and when it will be sophisticated enough to work for large scale film and television projects. Deepcake recently put its new technology to the test, allowing Willis to digitally cameo in a commercial for the Russian phone company MegaFon last year. It’s a very new and interesting experience, and I thank our entire team.” For me, it is a great opportunity to go back in time.” Instead, he allowed the show’s producers to digitally recreate his voice and signed over the rights to continue doing so for future “Star Wars” projects. The technical wizardry is handled by Deepcake, a new firm that specializes in creating “digital twins” of prominent celebrities.

Bruce Willis may have retired from acting, but the man is now the first actor to allow his likeness to be used in deepfake technology.

With the latest technology news surrounding Bruce Willis, we’re looking forward to where the future may lead him. The first time his likeness was used was in 2021 for a Russian phone service in what Willis described as “a mini-movie.” For his part in the commercial, Willis didn’t need to be anywhere near the set as the company used another actor and then applied their state-of-the-art technology to overlay Willis’ face onto theirs. Clearly happy with the outcome, Bruce Willis added a personal testimonial to the company’s website citing the technology’s “precision” in the final product. While he’s an incredibly talented man whether it be in romantic features, [comedy ventures](https://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/ent/bruce-willis-death-becomes-her-best-performance.html), or dramas, it’s in action movies where Willis really shines. [retiring from acting](https://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/ent/bruce-willis-retires-from-acting.html) due to his battle with aphasia – a neurological condition that hampers a person’s ability to read, listen, and speak – fans were left devastated. He’s currently wrapping up five projects, all of which will head to the immediate

What could Bruce Willis selling his rights to a deep fake firm mean for the future of film and TV?

[James Bond](https://collider.com/tag/james-bond/) every couple of years, we just had over half a century of [Sean Connery](https://collider.com/tag/sean-connery/). [Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull](https://collider.com/tag/indiana-jones-and-the-kingdom-of-the-crystal-skull/), [Steven Spielberg](https://collider.com/tag/steven-spielberg/) tried to introduce a son ( [Shia LaBeouf](https://collider.com/tag/shia-labeouf/)) to carry on the franchise for Indiana Jones ( [Harrison Ford](https://collider.com/tag/harrison-ford/)), but after the installment was so poorly received, he’s now just opting to have 80-year-old Ford reprise the role. [Disney](https://collider.com/tag/disney/) has explicitly embraced this technology as of late to bring actors like [Peter Cushing](https://collider.com/tag/peter-cushing/) and [Carrie Fisher](https://collider.com/tag/carrie-fisher/) back from the dead to reprise their iconic [Star Wars](https://collider.com/tag/star-wars/) characters. [vocal critics](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/digitally-reviving-peter-cushing_b_13800074) of the deep fake practice, citing it as disrespectful to the memory of the deceased. [Rogue One](https://collider.com/tag/rogue-one/), she came back as her youthful, previous self. That’s all to say, if given the option, why wouldn’t Marvel and Disney give fans the pleasure (and likely ensure the continued success of their [X-Men](https://collider.com/tag/x-men/) franchise) through another 20 years of Jackman/Wolverine performances? After all, the only thorn in the side of the major studios as they continue to embrace reboot fever are the recurring questions around how to handle the original performers in a way that satisfies fans. They did the same with [Mark Hamill](https://collider.com/tag/mark-hamill/) on [The Mandalorian](https://collider.com/tag/the-mandalorian/) and [The Book of Boba Fett](https://collider.com/tag/the-book-of-boba-fett/) so that a timeline-appropriate Luke Skywalker could appear on-screen (as opposed to real-life Hamill, who is now in his 70s). Their embrace of the opportunity represents a paradigm shift in Hollywood — they aren’t ahead of the curve so much as they can see the writing on the wall. Regardless of his health, he can now continue appearing in film and TV long after he can physically perform (or, in theory, even after his death). The contemporary difference is an actor like Glover viewed this type of recreation as an offense and something to establish protections against in 1990. [recent Vulture article](https://www.vulture.com/2022/08/silent-bruce-willis.html).

By his own account, Bruce Willis grew up a "working-class kid in New Jersey." So when his net worth ballooned to nine figures as one of Hollywood's biggest ...

Recent reports claimed that Bruce Willis had become the first Hollywood figure to sell his rights to a deepfake company for virtual appearances in film and ...

Aphasia is a disorder that limits the ability to understand or express speech. The site prominently features quotes attributed to Willis about a 2021 [commercial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSUQwwOm3G4) that aired in Russia for mobile phone carrier MegaFon. The neural network was trained on content of Die Hard and Fifth Element, so my character is similar to the images of that time.” Deepcake’s spokesperson explains that their company created his digital twin for 2021 ad campaigns, and that any future use of the likeness would be up to Willis. “I liked the precision of my character,” Willis said, according to the quotes on the Deepcake site. Although reports stated that this made Willis the first Hollywood personality to set up this type of deal, his team denies the existence of any such arrangement. In March, Willis’ family posted a statement to social media to announce that the star would be “stepping away” from his acting career after being diagnosed with aphasia, which had impacted his cognitive abilities. [The Telegraph](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/09/28/deepfake-tech-allows-bruce-willis-return-screen-without-ever/), suggested that the actor sold his rights to Deepcake to authorize the creation of a “digital twin” of himself to appear in projects following the announcement that he has [stepped away from performing](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/bruce-willis-stepping-away-from-acting-after-aphasia-diagnosis-1235122473/). [technology](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/t/technology/) as an ability for A-list actors to virtually include their likeness in marketing campaigns without the need to physically appear in front of the camera. 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A publicist for Deepcake confirms to THR that Willis’ digital-likeness rights cannot be sold, as they are his by default, and that the company’s involvement with the star was set up through his representatives at CAA. In a statement shared to The Hollywood Reporter, Willis’ representative said that he “has no partnership or agreement with this Deepcake company.”

A rep for Willis has denied that a "digital twin" of the actor is about to start starring in movies on his behalf.

[earlier this year](https://www.avclub.com/bruce-willis-aphasia-diagnosis-retirement-stepping-away-1848727268), that he was “stepping away” from acting after being diagnosed from an aphasia. (Including an apparent quote from Willis, talking about “the precision of my character,” and stating, “It’s a great opportunity for me to go back in time.”) It’s not like there’s some photorealistic virtual puppet just hanging around on a server somewhere, waiting to be inserted into films if his family gave the okay—which, again, to be extremely clear, they haven’t, and haven’t given any indication that they would. (In this case, Deepcake says it worked with Willis’ agents at CAA to set up the commercial deal, and that any future deepfake projects would have to be authorized by the Willis camp.) Also, we’re not AI-image-generation experts or anything, but given how much effort, and source material, it takes to make a brief appearance by these kinds of digital creations—dependent as it is on the whims of lighting, facial angles, etc.—the idea that an “AI Bruce” is even possible for a longer-form project like a movie still feels patently unfeasible. There’s a ghoulish idea embedded here, to be sure—just not one that seems to be grounded in current reality. So it’s worth tracing the path of the game of online telephone that got us here: From what we can tell, it all kicked off with [an article from ](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/09/28/deepfake-tech-allows-bruce-willis-return-screen-without-ever/) [The Telegraph](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/09/28/deepfake-tech-allows-bruce-willis-return-screen-without-ever/) on Wednesday that highlighted Deepcake’s work, which the company touts on its web site.

Reports previously claimed the legendary actor had sold rights to use of his "digital twin" for future on-screen projects. glass-bruce-willis-social- ...

[1994 hit Pulp Fiction](https://collider.com/best-bruce-willis-movies-ranked/), 1999 horror The Sixth Sense and 2000 drama Unbreakable. A statement on their website said Willis had offered his seal of approval for his digital double following his first use in a commercial for Russian phone operator MegaFon back in 2021. [The Hollywood Reporter](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/bruce-willis-refutes-report-digital-likeness-deepfake-1235231331/), Willis' representative said he "has no partnership or agreement with this Deepcake company.” A publicist for Deepcake told the publication that the rights to Willis' digital twin cannot be sold as they are owned by him automatically.

By his own account, Bruce Willis grew up a "working-class kid in New Jersey." So when his net worth ballooned to nine figures as one of Hollywood's biggest ...

It was widely reported that the actor had sold his face to a deepfake company.

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Deepfakes use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technology to create realistic videos - often of celebrities or politicians. For actors that can ...

The company uses an artificial neural network to impose Willis' image onto the face of a Russian actor— Reuters (@Reuters) AI replacement appears to be a growing trend. said the Telegraph. Some are concerned AI deep fakes could take work away from actors. Deepfakes use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technology to create realistic videos - often of celebrities or politicians. "Bruce Willis has become the first Hollywood star to sell his rights to allow a 'digital twin' of himself to be created for use on screen."

Previous reports indicating Bruce Willis became the first actor to sign over the rights to his likeness for deepfake use have been proven false.

[Bruce Willis currently has three movies](https://screenrant.com/bruce-willis-paradise-city-last-movie-john-travolta-perfect/) in the pipeline that have wrapped filming, allowing fans an opportunity to see the actor on screen one last time. [Yahoo Entertainment](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/bruce-willis-digital-twin-aphasia-diagnosis-190942056.html) to dismiss reports that Bruce Willis sold his deepfake likeness rights as false. Recent reports indicated that Willis had signed over the rights to use his likeness to create a digital twin, as he had stepped away from his career due to his aphasia diagnosis. [Willis had previously appeared](https://screenrant.com/bruce-willis-deepfake-technology-rights-sold-details/) in a commercial for a Russian phone service MegaFon where his face was digitally imposed over another actor. [Bruce Willis](https://screenrant.com/tag/bruce-willis/) made the decision to sell the rights to his likeness using deepfake technology have been debunked. During the actor's 40-year long career, Willis has appeared in several television series and over a hundred films, having achieved movie stardom playing [the role of John McClane](https://screenrant.com/die-hard-bruce-willis-john-mcclane-controversial-casting-moonlighting/) in the popular action franchise, Die Hard.

It was widely reported that the actor had sold his face to a deepfake company.

The company uses an artificial neural network to impose Willis' image onto the face of a Russian actor— Reuters (@Reuters) AI replacement appears to be a growing trend. said the Telegraph. Some are concerned AI deep fakes could take work away from actors. Deepfakes use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning technology to create realistic videos - often of celebrities or politicians. "Bruce Willis has become the first Hollywood star to sell his rights to allow a 'digital twin' of himself to be created for use on screen."