Bruce Willis, who stepped away from acting following an aphasia diagnosis, has sold his rights to allow a "digital twin" of himself to be created.
In March, the 67-year-old Die Hard alum revealed that he was retiring from acting due to his medical condition, which is a neuro-cognitive disorder that impacts someone's ability to communicate and understand language.
However, he can still appear in movies after selling his image rights to Deepcake - a Delaware-based company founded by CEO Maria Chmir - to create a digital replica of himself.
In August 2021, the AI-powered platform digitally transplanted the Sixth Sense actor's face onto understudy Konstantin Solovyov to appear in a phone commercial for Russian company MegaFon.
Watch the commercial below:In a statement on its website, the Armageddon actor said: "I liked the precision with which my character turned out. It’s a mini-movie in my usual action-comedy genre. For me, it is a great opportunity to go back in time."
"With the advent of modern technology, even when I was on another continent, I was able to communicate, work and participate in the filming. It’s a very new and interesting experience, and I thank our entire team," he added.
According to the Daily Mail, it now only takes engineers "three to five days" to create Willis' Twin in projects, but his estate has the final sign-off on what's created.
Deep fake technology in Hollywood opens up the possibility that actors could star in movies after they pass well, as well as the chance to bring stars from past years back to life on screen.
In one case, the Star Wars producers used the technology for all of their cast members, and stars like Jim Carrey, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Arnold Schwarzenegger all reportedly have digital copies.
Willis - who has garnered over $9.4 billion worldwide for his films - has three more action thrillers to be released as he shot them last year before his diagnosis and retirement.
The actor's children shared a statement earlier this year on his Instagram that read: "We wanted to share that our beloved Bruce has been experiencing some health issues and has recently been diagnosed with aphasia, which is impacting his cognitive abilities.
"As a result of this and with much consideration, Bruce is stepping away from the career that has meant so much to him. This is a really challenging time for our family and we are so appreciative of your continued love, compassion, and support.
"We are moving through this as a strong family unit, and wanted to bring his fans in because we know how much he means to you, as you do to him," they said, adding, "As Bruce always says, 'Live it up' and together we plan to do just that."