Here’s what Heath Ledger’s Joker looks like without make-up thanks to AI
A video has recreated Heath Ledger’s performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight without make-up.
Created by YouTuber GdaTyler VFX, the video digitally replicates the late actor’s face using deepfake software in various scenes from the 2008 superhero film. Since it was uploaded on March 30, the video has earned over 14,000 views at the time of writing.
As the creator notes, the replication isn’t perfect. As for the eyes, “some extreme left-right directions didn’t work out well as well as looking up”, while some scenes show the make-up outlines bleeding through.
“Some of the scenes seem more unsettling to me with the no make-up version for some reason,” one commenter wrote. You can check out the video below.
Ledger died from an accidental drug overdose aged 28 in January 2008, before The Dark Knight was released later that year in July. The actor received a posthumous award for his performance in the film at the Oscars for Best Supporting Actor.
The actor’s last role was in 2009’s The Imaginarium Of Doctor Parnassus, directed by Terry Gilliam. He was also known for starring in A Knight’s Tale, 10 Things I Hate About You, Monster’s Ball and Brokeback Mountain.
The Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan is set to release his next film Oppenheimer on July 21, 2023. The biopic follows the life of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) who is credited as the “father of the atomic bomb” for his role in the Manhattan Project.
Alongside Cillian Murphy, the film stars Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Rami Malek, Benny Safdie, Kenneth Branagh, Dane DeHaan and Josh Hartnett.
The next Batman outing will be The Batman – Part II from director Matt Reeves, which will see Robert Pattinson reprise his role as the caped crusader. The sequel is scheduled to be released in October 2025.
The post Here’s what Heath Ledger’s Joker looks like without make-up thanks to AI appeared first on NME.
Adam Starkey
NME
