When a celebrity has been around for a long time, it's easy to picture them at all of the different stages of their career — young, old, and everywhere in between.
But trying to imagine what young celebrities will look like when they're older is decidedly more difficult! It's a challenge, however, that Alper Yesiltas — a 39-year-old lawyer and digital photographer/artist — happily accepted...and the results are incredible and thought-provoking.
1. First, Alper asked himself what Harry Styles would look like a few decades from now...
...and this was the result:
Here are the two photos side by side:
2. He wondered what Billie Eilish would look like in the future...
...and this was the result:
Here are the two photos side by side:
Alper told BuzzFeed he was inspired to create the series when "I realized that fans (myself included) wonder what today's artists will look like in a few decades."
3. Another artist he imagined a few decades in the future was Robert Pattinson...
...and this was the result:
Here are the two photos side by side:
4. He also asked himself what Emma Stone would look like in, like, 2040...
...and this was the result:
Here are the two photos side by side:
When it came time to pick celebrities to work on, Alper decided to select ones he was interested in, as well as artists known for their style, which would allow him to try “to digitally describe how those styles will look in the future.”
5. He pictured Ryan Gosling far off in the future...
...and this was the result:
Here are the two photos side by side:
6. And he envisioned Greta Thunberg in a future where the environment is hopefully better taken care of than today...
...and this was the result:
Here are the two photos side by side:
7. He asked what Justin Bieber would look like when he wasn't a "baby, baby, baby, oh!" but an "old man, old man, old man, oh!"
...and this was the result:
Here are the two photos side by side:
Some people fear where AI might take us, but Alper is excited by it. "I can definitely say that artificial intelligence–based applications/platforms will carry the potential of artists, and therefore art, to higher places." He stresses, though, that the tech alone can't create great art. "Hardware and software can help us to produce, but it's the human emotions that are decisive."
8. Alper also predicted what Dua Lipa would look like some decades down the road...
...and this was the result:
Here are the two photos side by side:
9. And he forecasted what soccer legends Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi would look like one day...
...and this was the result:
Here are the two photos of Cristiano Ronaldo side by side:
And here are the two photos of Lionel Messi side by side:
10. Alper has even begun to imagine what classic movie characters would look like today. Here's Forrest Gump (played by Tom Hanks) as you know him...
...and here's what he might look like today:
Here are the two photos side by side:
Alper says he enjoys making these images because they allow him to imagine "sequels that are always dreamed of but never come."
Here is how you remember Patrick Bateman (played by Christian Bale) from American Psycho...
...and here's how Alper predicted he might look today:
Here are the two photos side by side:
11. He also tried to predict what The Bride (played by Uma Thurman) from the Kill Bill movies would look like today...
...and this was the result:
Here are the two photos side by side:
This isn't the first time Alper has made waves with his incredible images. Last year, we covered his viral AI series entitled "As If It Never Happened." That stunning collection imagined what celebrities who died young would look like today. Here are some of the most striking examples:
12. Diana, Princess of Wales died in a car accident on Aug. 31, 1997. She was 36.
This is what she might have looked like last year at age 61:
Here are the two photos side by side:
13. Heath Ledger died of acute intoxication from a combination of prescription drugs on Jan. 22, 2008. He was 28.
This is what he might have looked like last year at age 43:
Here are the two photos side by side:
14. Selena was murdered on March 31, 1995. She was 23.
This is what she might have looked like last year at age 51:
Here are the two photos side by side:
15. Freddie Mercury died due to complications from AIDS on Nov. 24, 1991. He was 45.
This is what he might have looked like last year at age 77:
Here are the two photos side by side:
Alper told BuzzFeed that the development of AI technology inspired the photo series. "When I started tinkering with the technology, I saw what I could do and thought about what would make me the happiest. I wanted to see some of the people I missed again in front of me, and that's how 'As If Nothing Happened' emerged."
16. Amy Winehouse died of an alcohol overdose on July 23, 2011. She was 27.
This is what she might have looked like last year at age 38:
Here are the two photos side by side:
17. Paul Walker died in a car accident on Nov. 30, 2013. He was 40.
This is what he might have looked like last year at age 48:
Here are the two photos side by side:
18. The Beatles broke up in 1970. John Lennon was murdered on Dec. 8, 1980. He was 40. George Harrison died of cancer on Nov. 29, 2001. He was 58.
This is what John and George might've looked like last year if they were still with us and playing with Paul and Ringo. John would've be 82 here; George would've been 79.
Here are the two photos side by side:
In order to create these incredible images, Alper uses a variety of software and says that, while the amount of time he spends on each photo varies, they all take — as you likely imagine — "a while" to make.
19. Kurt Cobain died by suicide on April 5, 1994. He was 27.
This is what he might have looked like last year at age 55:
Here are the two photos side by side:
20. Tupac Shakur died following a drive-by shooting on Sept. 13, 1996. He was 25.
This is what he might have looked like last year at age 51:
Here are the two photos side by side:
21. Janis Joplin died of a heroin overdose on Oct. 4, 1970. She was 27.
This is what she might have looked like last year at age 79:
Here are the two photos side by side:
According to Alper, "The most important part is making the image I'm processing feel realistic to me. Intentionally or unintentionally, I know a lot about the person I'm working with. Naturally, the moment I like the most is when I think the image in front of me feels 'real.'"
22. Jimi Hendrix died of asphyxia on Sept. 18, 1970. He was 27.
This is what he might have looked like last year at age 79:
Here are the two photos side by side:
23. Bruce Lee died of a cerebral edema on July 20, 1973. He was 32.
This is what he might have looked like last year at age 81:
Here are the two photos side by side:
Alper, in general, has received positive feedback that has greatly encouraged him. "What pleases me the most is that there are more comments (perhaps tens of thousands) than I imagined ever before. I love reading them."
24. Let's look at one more of Alper's cool images before we go. This, of course, is Elvis Presley, who died from cardiac arrest on Aug. 16, 1977 at the age of 42...
...and this is what he might have looked like last year at age 87:
Here are the two photos side by side:
