An AI company supported by Amazon seeks to recreate the missing footage of a classic Hollywood film. The Hollywood Reporter reported on Showrunner’s attempts to utilize generative AI to reconstruct the 43 minutes lost from the 1942 Orson Welles movie, The Magnificent Ambersons, which were obliterated by studio executives.

Showrunner intends to integrate AI with conventional filmmaking methods to recover the footage, which will include filming scenes with live performers and employing AI technologies for face and pose transfer to preserve the original actors’ appearances. Archived images from the set will be utilized to reconstruct the scenes.

Showrunner will refrain from commercializing the findings as it does not hold the rights to the film. The Welles estate expressed disapproval of the endeavor but permits AI usage for voiceover tasks. A representative informed Variety that although AI is welcomed for voice modeling, this initiative lacks Welles’ creative brilliance and is simply mechanical in nature.

The Magnificent Ambersons, Welles’ subsequent work after Citizen Kane, was edited down from 131 to 88 minutes by the studio, resulting in only 13 out of 73 scenes remaining. Film aficionados have long desired to experience Welles’ original intention. Now, a version may materialize, crafted by AI rather than Welles himself.