The Orson Welles estate objects to AI startup Fable Studio‘s plans to “reconstruct” lost footage of the director’s 1942 feature “The Magnificent Ambersons,” which had 43 minutes cut from its released edition.
Edward Saatchi, the CEO of the Amazon-backed company, appeared on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Friday morning to announce his company’s AI platform Showrunner will generate footage that recreate sequences removed from what he deemed Welles’ “ruined masterpiece,” saying that AI technology will bring it “back to life.”
In a statement to Variety, the Welles estate said that it was not informed of Fable’s plans to tackle “Magnificent Ambersons.” The estate also noted that it maintains approval of AI technology in its efforts to license a voice model of Welles for commercial enterprises.
“We saw the various articles on ‘Ambersons’ today. In general, the estate has embraced AI technology to create a voice model intended to be used for VO work with brands. That said, this attempt to generate publicity on the back of Welles’ creative genius is disappointing, especially as we weren’t even given the courtesy of a heads up,” a spokesperson for the Welles estate wrote. “While AI is inevitable, it still cannot replace the creative instincts resident in the human mind, which means this effort to make Ambersons whole will be a purely mechanical exercise without any of the uniquely innovative thinking or a creative force like Welles.”
A spokesperson for Fable did not respond for comment.
On “Squawk Box,” Saatchi did not specify what Showrunner’s AI-generated “Ambersons” scenes would be using as a reference, as none of the cut footage from Welles’ original version is known to exist. Welles’ original shooting script has been archived, as are some of his notes on how he wished the film to be cut.
Along with unveiling his plans for “Ambersons,” Saatchi touted Showrunner’s abilities by stating that the AI platform has already generated “new episodes” of “South Park.” The interview also featured an AI-generated animated recreation of a “Squawk Box” episode, in which the hosts interview an AI robot styled like a Terminator, which Saatchi described as “funny.” Later, the CEO said that the company’s technology could mark “potentially the end of human creativity,” predicting a world where “we enjoy entertainment created by AI.”
“The Magnificent Ambersons,” Welles’ follow-up to “Citizen Kane,” was released to theaters in 1942 after a bitter battle in the editing room between the director and RKO Pictures execs. The studio ended up chopping a 131-minute cut down to 88 minutes, removing what Welles described as the story’s “entire third act.” The compromised version was a rueful subject for Welles, who remained convinced that the removed footage was definitively lost. As he put it, “They destroyed Ambersons and it destroyed me.”
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