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26 deepfakes that will freak you out

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Lily Rose
50 deepfakes that will FREAK you out
1 of 51 Left: Malpaso; Right: iFake via YouTube

26 deepfakes that will freak you out

Deepfakes -- the art and science of deceptive video editing -- is all over the news, and for good reason. The world's biggest entities, such as Facebook, are starting to call them not just a cute trend but an actual threat to America. Here are 26 deep fakes that make that point beautifully. Some are uncanny. Some are hilarious. But they're all worth paying attention to... if you can figure out who is who.

Wednesday Adams as Ron Swanson
2 of 51 Paramount Pictures

Wednesday Adams as Ron Swanson

This video from deepfake video maker DrFakenstein takes your favorite goth girl, Wednesday Adams, and replaces her face and voice with that of popular sitcom Parks and Rec's Ron Swanson.

She's creepy and she's kooky
3 of 51 DrFakenstein via YouTube

She's creepy and she's kooky

DrFakenstein credits AI audio studio Stable Voices for Swanson's delivery of Adams' monotone and morose dialogue. 

Back to the Future with Tom Holland
4 of 51 Amblin Entertainment

Back to the Future with Tom Holland

Michael J. Fox played the iconic Marty McFly in the 1985 comedy Back to the Future. But what if the know-it-all teen was played by one of today's heartthrobs? Say... Tom Holland?

Great Scott!
5 of 51 EZRyderX47 via YouTube

Great Scott!

This deepfake video brought Tom Holland back to the future using DeepFaceLab and Hitfilm Express 13 softwares.

Better Call Saul with Donald Trump
6 of 51 AMC

Breaking Bad with Donald Trump

YouTube channel Ctrl Shift Face morphed ace attorney Saul Goodman's face into Donald Trump's, so you could have a mind-bending experience watching this scene about money laundering from Breaking Bad.

Better call Trump
7 of 51 Ctrl Shift Face via YouTube

Better call Trump

To turn Saul's voice into Trump's for this video, Ctrl Shift Face dubbed over Bob Odenkirk in the Breaking Bad episode Kafkaesque with AI-created voices from the AI audio studio Stable Voices

Bill Hader can do many impressions
8 of 51 Ctrl Shift Face via YouTube

Bill Hader can do many impressions

This freaky deepfake video of Bill Hader's face morphing into the people he's mimicking has more than six million views. 

He turns into Tom Cruise
9 of 51 Ctrl Shift Face via YouTube

He turns into Tom Cruise

Ctrl Shift Face credits DeepFaceLab software for creating the almost seamless transitions between faces. 

He even turns into Seth Rogen
10 of 51 Ctrl Shift Face via YouTube

He even turns into Seth Rogen

"I'm equal parts impressed and equal parts terrified of this technology..." commented one YouTube viewer. 

Dirty Harry starring Arnold Schwarzenegger
11 of 51 Malpaso

Dirty Harry starring Arnold Schwarzenegger

If you've ever wondered what Dirty Harry would be like if Arnold Schwarzenegger were the star, here's your chance. 

Dirty Arnold
12 of 51 iFake via YouTube

Dirty Arnold

This iFake video put Schwarzenegger's face on Clint Eastwood's body. The creators credit impressionist Joe Gaudet for the excellent Governator voice over. 

Jon Snow apologizing for the last season of Game of Thrones
13 of 51 HBO

Jon Snow apologizing for the last season of Game of Thrones

If you were a die-hard Game of Thrones fan who was disappointed by the series ending, this video is for you. 

Jon Snow actually knows a lot
14 of 51 Eating Things With Famous People via YouTube

Jon Snow actually knows a lot

This Game of Thrones deepfake makes Jon Snow apologize for season 8. YouTube channel Eating Things With Famous People created this hilarious video. Snow admits, "When the Starbucks cup is the smallest mistake, you know you f***** up." 

Home Alone starring Sylvester Stallone
15 of 51 20th Century Fox

Home Alone starring Sylvester Stallone

If you thought this classic Christmas movie could be improved by adding Sylvester Stallone, congratulations! The folks at YouTube channel Ctrl Shift Face created this terrifying deepfake video exactly for someone like you.

Home Stallone
16 of 51 Ctrl Shift Face

Home Stallone

Yo, Adrian! Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal. 

This Obama speech is fake
17 of 51 Buzzfeed via YouTube

This Obama speech is fake

The first few seconds of this Buzzfeed-released viral video of Barack Obama fooled a lot of people. But if you watched long enough, you learned a valuable lesson from one of Hollywood's creepiest filmmakers. 

It's actually Jordan Peele
18 of 51 Buzzfeed via YouTube

It's actually Jordan Peele

Peele and Buzzfeed created this video to bring attention to the growing problem of fake-news videos. This deepfake was made with Adobe After Effects video software and an AI program called FakeApp. 

Nancy Pelosi deepfake
19 of 51 CBS News

Nancy Pelosi deepfake

Quite a few deepfakes of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made the rounds in 2019. They fooled a lot of people, including President Donald Trump. Although most of Pelosi videos have been taken down, a few can still be found online.

CBS News reports that the Worldwide Threat Assessment said "Adversaries and strategic competitors would likely attempt to use deepfakes to influence campaigns in the U.S. but they could also be used for other nefarious reasons."

This impressionist is incredible
20 of 51 Jim Meskimen via YouTube

This impressionist is incredible

Actor and impressionist Jim Meskimen filmed himself doing various impressions and transformed his face to match with the help of fellow YouTuber SHAM00K. 

He can be Colin Firth
21 of 51 Jim Meskimen via YouTube

He can be Colin Firth

His impressions included such greats as Colin Firth, Bryan Cranston, Robert De Niro and more. 

He can be Robert De Niro
22 of 51 Jim Meskimen via YouTube

He can be Robert De Niro

"Much of the credit here goes to Sham00k, who initially approached me (from England) and suggested a collaboration. He is the mastermind behind the mind-blowing, face-morphing effect here," Meskimen wrote in a comment on his video. 

Elon Musk as a "baby"
23 of 51 TheFakening via YouTube

Elon Musk as a 'baby'

The YouTube channel TheFakening created probably the weirdest deepfake ever when it superimposed Elon Musk's face onto the babies of a viral YouTube video called "Cutest Baby Montage Ever."

In case you needed to see it again
24 of 51 TheFakening via YouTube

In case you needed to see it again

Yikes!

"Ewan McGregor" and "Robert Downey Jr." sit down for an interview
25 of 51 Collider via YouTube

'Ewan McGregor' and 'Robert Downey Jr.' sit down for an interview

This roundtable, facilitated by the website Collider, includes all your favorite actors. But guess what: It's actually fake.

And so does "George Lucas"
26 of 51 Collider via YouTube

And so does 'George Lucas'

Celebrity impersonators provided the bodies and the voices while video technology provided the faces. 

And so does "Tom Cruise"
27 of 51 Collider via YouTube

And so does 'Tom Cruise'

Doesn't that look just like Tom Cruise? Well, it's not!

Iron Man starring Tom Cruise
28 of 51 Marvel Studios

Iron Man starring Tom Cruise

Collider also wants you to envision what bad boy billionaire superhero Tony Stark would be like if he were portrayed by Tom Cruise. 

Rain Man
29 of 51 Collider Videos via YouTube

Rain Man

In this deepfake, video technology and a clever voice-over take Cruise from Rain Man to Iron Man. 

"Keanu Reeves" stops a robbery
30 of 51 Corridor via YouTube

'Keanu Reeves' stops a robbery

This deepfake video from video-slash-marketing shop Corridor Digital went viral because quite a few YouTube viewers believed it was real. 

It's all the power of deepfake
31 of 51 Corridor via YouTube

It's all the power of deepfake

But spoiler alert: It's totally fake (and totally awesome). On the video's YouTube page, Corridor wrote, "This video was created using Deepfake technology. If the double-360-neck-snap didn't give it away: THIS ENTIRE PIECE WAS STAGED."

Star Wars starring Leonardo DiCaprio
32 of 51 Collider via YouTube

Star Wars starring Leonardo DiCaprio

An AI George Lucas introduces this Collider-made deepfake of Leonardo DiCaprio as Anakin Skywalker in various Star Wars films. 

The force is strong with this one
33 of 51 Collider via YouTube

The force is strong with this one

"The fact that you can add someone's face like that is just insane!" wrote a YouTube commenter. 

Mark Zuckerberg gives fake speech
34 of 51 Canny via YouTube

Mark Zuckerberg gives fake speech

Advertising company Canny made this deepfake of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg by using CannyAI's video dialogue replacement (VDR) technology. It went viral and made headlines for how many people it duped. 

The Matrix starring Will Smith
35 of 51 Warner Bros.

The Matrix starring Will Smith

Did you know that Will Smith was originally offered the role of Neo in The Matrix but turned it down? Thanks to a deepfake video by YouTuber Shamook, you don't have to wonder what it would've been like. 

Which pill did we take?
36 of 51 Shamook via YouTube

Which pill did we take?

Will Smith's face is superimposed onto Keanu Reeves' body in this deepfake video.

Mia Sorvino as Marilyn Monroe
37 of 51 HBO

Mira Sorvino as Marilyn Monroe

Mia Sorvino portrayed Marilyn Monroe in the 1996 TV movie Norma Jean & Marilyn. 

Marilyn Monroe as Mia Sorvino as Marilyn Monroe
38 of 51 Deep Homage via YouTube

Marilyn Monroe as Mia Sorvino as Marilyn Monroe

The YouTube account DeepHomage superimposed Monroe's face on Sorvino's body to make the made-for-TV film more true-to-life. 

Nic Cage as Lois Lane
39 of 51 derpfakes via YouTube

Nicolas Cage as Lois Lane

Cage was almost cast as Superman in the '90. Here you can see him as the superhero's love interest, Lois Lane. "That is convincingly realistic," wrote a reviewer.

Mike Tyson as Oprah
40 of 51 DrFakenstein via YouTube

Mike Tyson as Oprah

Poor Oprah. DrFakenstein crafted this masterpiece with Mike Tyson's face on Oprah's body. 

Snoop Dogg as Gayle King
41 of 51 DrFakenstein via YouTube

Snoop Dogg as Gayle King

Oprah/Mike Tyson's guest in the video is none other than her BFF, Gayle King, with the superimposed face of rapper Snoop Dogg. You get a deepfake! And you get a deepfake!

Jimmy Fallon's face on Paul Rudd's body looks practically the same
42 of 51 Life2Coding via YouTube

Jimmy Fallon's face on Paul Rudd's body looks practically the same

Maybe you've never noticed how much Paul Rudd and Jimmy Fallon look alike, but bunches of YouTubers are pointing to this deepfake as proof.

Viral Putin speech
43 of 51 MIT via YouTube

Viral Putin speech

MIT Technology Review Editor-in-Chief Gideon Lichfield interviewed a deepfake "Vladimir Putin" on stage at MIT's EmTech conference to show how the technology can be used in real time. 

The Room starring Brad Pitt
44 of 51 Ctrl Shift Face via YouTube

The Room starring Brad Pitt

What would The Room be like starring Brad Pitt? Ctrl Shift Face answered that question for us with this deepfake video

Oh, hi Brad
45 of 51 Ctrl Shift Face via YouTube

Oh, hi, Brad

But does Pitt's face superimposed over star and director Tommy Wiseau's make it more watchable? 

The Shining Starring Brad Pitt
46 of 51 The Fake Report via YouTube

The Shining starring Brad Pitt

The folks behind the YouTube channel TheFakeReport recast The Shining with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. 

The Shining starring Angelina Jolie
47 of 51 The Fake Report via YouTube

Here's Angie!

How strange is it to hear Shelley Duvall's voice coming out of Angelina Jolie's mouth?

Willem Dafoe as Rick Sanchez
48 of 51 Marvel Entertainment

Willem Dafoe as Rick Sanchez

Designer Ben Marriott reimagined Willem Dafoe as Rick Sanchez from the cartoon series Rick and Morty, using the animation software Maya.

"I don't do magic Morty, I do science."
49 of 51 Ben Marriott via YouTube

'I don't do magic, Morty. I do science.'

In the original clip, Willem Dafoe plays the Green Goblin from 2002's Spider-Man movie. In the deepfake, he's taken on Sanchez's hair, eyebrows, eyes and signature drool. 

Dr. Evil and Mini Me as Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump
50 of 51 New Line Cinema

Dr. Evil and Mini Me as Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump

You may recognize this criminal duo from the Austin Powers series.

Spot the difference
51 of 51 Life2Coding via YouTube

Spot the difference

In this deepfake video by Life2Coding, their faces have been swapped with Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, as seen in this collection of deepfake videos

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