Восстановление утраченной части «Великолепных Эмберсонов»: ИИ воссоздаст недостающие минуты классики Орсона Уэллса Translation: Restoration of the Lost Part of The Magnificent Ambersons: AI to Recreate Missing Minutes of Orson Welles Classic

Showrunner is aiming to leverage AI technology to recreate the 43 missing minutes of footage from Orson Welles’ classic 1942 film «The Magnificent Ambersons.» This was reported by The Hollywood Reporter.

The company plans to combine AI tools with traditional filmmaking techniques. The latter includes filming scenes with live actors, whose resemblance to the original characters will be enhanced using deepfake technology.

The project will be led by director Brian Rose, who has restored 30,000 frames of the film over the past five years. He has recreated physical sets using 3D models to accurately determine camera movements in accordance with the script, on-set photographs, and archival footage.

Welles’ original version of «The Magnificent Ambersons» had a runtime of 131 minutes, but he relinquished the right of final cut to RKO Gower Street Studios (now known as Sunset Gower Studios). As a result, the film was shortened to 87 minutes, and nearly a third of the filmed negatives were destroyed by the studio without the director’s knowledge to make room in their archives.

The film, released in 1942 by the creator of «Citizen Kane,» received favorable and even enthusiastic reviews from critics. In 1991, the U.S. Library of Congress deemed the work significant enough to be included in the National Film Registry. A remake of «The Magnificent Ambersons» was produced in Hollywood in 2002.

Showrunner expects to complete the restoration of the film within two years. However, the AI firm will not be able to release it commercially as it has not acquired the rights.

«The aim is not to commercialize the 43-minute film but to see it brought to light after 80 years, during which people have wondered, ‘Could this have been the best film in its original form?'» said Showrunner CEO Edward Saatchi.

He also noted that if the company sees demand for the product beyond an «academic context,» it would seek ownership rights.

Commenting on the expanding use of AI tools in the film industry, Saatchi positioned Showrunner as the «Netflix of artificial intelligence.» The firm aims to empower users to create their own complete versions of films as fan fiction using the technology.

«Today, AI cannot extend a story beyond a short episode, but the company’s tools represent a step toward a frightening and strange future of generative storytelling,» said the head of Showrunner.

It is important to note that the progress of AI technologies has raised concerns about potential unemployment, affecting not only Hollywood figures but also ordinary citizens in the U.S.