Orson Welles' heirs oppose artificial intelligence interference in his work

It didn't take long for Orson Welles' heirs to react to the announcement by the artificial intelligence startup Fable Studio that they were restoring a lost fragment of the 1942 film "The Magnificent Ambersons." This decision was unanimously criticized, although Reeder Brand Management, representing the director's daughter, Beatrice Welles, does not oppose the use of AI in similar endeavors.

The lost fragment of "The Magnificent Ambersons" is widely considered a cinematic Holy Grail, capturing the imaginations of generations of film buffs. A staggering 43 minutes were cut from the finished film adaptation of Booth Tarkington's novel , which tells the story of the downfall of a wealthy Middle Eastern family and the social changes brought on by the advent of the automobile. This was because Welles lost control of the final cut of the film to RKO Radio Pictures. The studio decided to remove the footage and create a new, happier ending.

The footage itself was supposedly destroyed, although the script and Welles' extensive notes, in which he described his vision for the film, were preserved. The version of "The Magnificent Ambersons" shown in theaters, despite cuts and reshoots, is considered by many to be a masterpiece.

Many prominent filmmakers refused to accept that the deleted scenes had been destroyed and devoted their time to searching for them in the archives of Paramount Studios, which had taken over the RKO archives. William Friedkin, whose wife was longtime studio head Sherry Lansing, was most involved in the search. Peter Bogdanovich and Francis Ford Coppola, among others, also sought the material. The search proved unsuccessful.

The AI ​​startup Fable Studio now wants to continue the story of Welles' 43-minute film . The head of this Amazon-backed company, Edward Saatchi, announced that this piece of cinematic history will be recreated with the help of artificial intelligence, breathing new life into the "ruined masterpiece" of the "Citizen Kane" creator. However, he did not provide details about the entire project or what materials his company will use to recreate the lost scenes.

Saatchi's decision was met with immediate criticism from Reeder Brand Management , the company representing Kane's heirs.

"We've seen several articles regarding 'The Ambersons.' In short, the estate appreciates the potential of artificial intelligence to create a model of Orson Welles's voice for use with various brands. That said, attempting to gain publicity on the back of a creative genius like Welles is disappointing, especially since no one informed us beforehand. While artificial intelligence is inevitable, it still cannot replace the creative instincts inherent in the human mind. This means that the effort to complete 'The Magnificent Ambersons' will be a purely mechanical exercise, devoid of the unique, innovative thinking and creative power that Welles possessed," the statement provided to Variety reads.