Peter Cushing Getting Resurrected Again
An AI recreation of Peter Cushing will appear in an upcoming film about Hammer Films, marking the actor’s second AI appearance since his death in 1994. The actor was a key player in the studio’s history, and his AI recreation will likely appear alongside archival footage. The use of AI technology to recreate the likeness of dead actors is a hot-button issue and his appearance in the documentary is certain to divide fans.
Featured In The Hammer Studios Documentary
Hammer: Heroes, Legends, and Monsters is an upcoming Sky documentary produced as a celebration of the studio’s 90th anniversary. Peter Cushing, who played Doctor Van Helsing and Baron Frankenstein in several Hammer films, will be featured via an AI recreation. The documentary will present the history of the studio as well as its enduring legacy in the horror genre.
Ben Field who heads Deep Fusion, the production company behind the documentary, has commented on the AI version of Peter Cushing. He assured fans that the actor’s family was consulted about using his likeness and that the representation would be respectful. Noting the actor’s importance to Hammer Films, Field claims the AI revival would help audiences engage with that history.
AI Likeness Used In Star Wars
Of course, this isn’t the first time Peter Cushing has been controversially inserted into a movie using AI. His Star Wars character, Grand Moff Tarkin, appeared in the 2016 movie Rogue One played by an AI version of the actor. That high-profile use of the technology brought its use to the public’s attention and caused a major stir among fans.
Peter Cushing’s appearance in Hammer: Heroes, Legends, and Monsters won’t be Deep Fusion’s first brush with the controversial practice either. The studio recently produced a podcast called Virtually Parkinson hosted by an AI version of the late talk show host Michael Parkinson. In combination with the upcoming documentary, Deep Fusion seems to be making AI revivals a key part of its business model.
The Great AI Debate
Between his appearance in Rogue One and the upcoming Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters, Peter Cushing has become a central figure in the debate over AI in film. AI was a key issue in last year’s SAG strike, with concerns over studios using the likeness of actors who have passed without consent. That problem is tied in with other concerns around the use of AI and “deep fake” technology used to recreate an individual’s likeness.
While the AI Peter Cushing may be controversial, the documentary as a whole seems to be a straightforward love letter to Hammer Films. Tim Burton, Joe Dante, and John Carpenter are all featured in the documentary as horror directors influenced by classic Hammer films like Dracula. The documentary will also follow the careers of other Hammer actors like Christopher Lee and Michael Gough.
The continued use of Peter Cushing’s likeness makes it clear that AI is going to remain a controversial issue in entertainment for years to come. With the technology being so new, legal and ethical concerns are sure to become increasingly common the more it’s used. While some classic horror fans will be able to look past the documentary’s use of AI, others will likely find it insulting and potentially even unnerving.
Source: Deadline
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