Orson Welles Estate served as an object in a plan to “reconstruct” the lost footage of AI startup Fable Studio’s 1942 feature “The Magnifincent Ambersons,” and was reduced for 43 minutes from the released edition.
Edward Sarch, CEO of Amazon Support, appeared on CNBC’s “Scokebox” on Friday morning, and announced that his company’s AI platform showrunner would produce footage that recreates the sequences he had been deemed to be Wells’ “smashed masterpiece.”
In a statement from Variety, Welles Estate said it was not informed of Fable’s plans to tackle “epic Amberson.” Real estate also noted that it maintains approval of AI technology in its efforts to license Wells’ voice models for commercial businesses.
“I saw various articles about today’s ‘Amberson’. In general, real estate has adopted AI technology to create voice models intended for use in VO work with brands. That’s a shame, as attempts to produce publicity on the back of Wells’ creative genius were not particularly given the courtesy of Welles Estate. “AI is inevitable, but it cannot replace the creative instincts that live in the human mind. This effort to create an entire Amberson becomes a purely mechanical movement without unique innovative thinking or the creative power of Wells.”
A spokesman for Fable did not respond to comment.
In “Squawk Box,” Saatchi didn’t specify what the “Ambersons” scenes generated by Showrunner’s AI would use as references, as it is not known that none of the cut footage from the original version of Welles existed. Wells’ original filming scripts are archived, as well as some of his notes on how to cut the film.
Along with announcing plans for “Amberson”, Search has promoted the showrunner’s abilities, stating that the AI platform is already generating “new episodes” of “South Park.” The interview also included animated recreation generated by AI in the “Squawk Box” episode. The host interviews AI robots like Terminator, which Saatchi described as “funny.” The CEO then states that the company’s technology can “potentially mark the end of human creativity,” predicting a world that “enjoys the entertainment created by AI.”
“The Magnificent Ambersons” was released in theaters in 1942 after a fierce battle in the editorial office between the director and the RKO photography executive. The studio cut the 131-minute cut to 88 minutes, removing what Wells calls the “full third act” of the story. The compromised version was a silly theme for Wells, leaving us confident that the deleted footage was definitely lost. As he said, “They destroyed Amberson and it destroyed me.”
