In 1986, critic Vincent Canby denounced the colorization of black-and-white films as a desecration. The practice, he argued, betrayed the artwork's original time. Four decades later, a new technological debate echoes that sentiment: the use of generative AI to alter, expand, or 'complete' classic movies.

The Sphere in Las Vegas brought this to mass audiences in 2025 with an AI-modified version of *The Wizard of Oz*, tailored for its colossal screen. It sold over 2.2 million tickets, proving public appetite for reimagined classics, even as critics like Alissa Wilkinson warned of corporate owners altering an artist's choices.

Now, a more ambitious project is underway. Edward Saatchi of Fable Studios, partnering with filmmaker Brian Rose, is using AI to reconstruct Orson Welles's lost original cut of 1942's *The Magnificent Ambersons*. The studio famously re-edited and reshot Welles's film, destroying footage. For years, Rose meticulously animated the missing scenes based on surviving evidence. Saatchi's team is now employing AI to superimpose performances from live actors onto the original cast's likenesses, aiming for a seamless integration.

The project operates without Warner Bros.'s involvement and initially without consulting the Welles estate. Beatrice Welles, Orson's daughter, stated she is 'terrified of AI' and a 'purist' regarding her father's work, but acknowledged the team's respect. Saatchi describes the effort as an academic exercise to undo a 'terrible turning point in cinematic history.'

Opposition is sharp. Filmmaker Daniel Rorer calls such non-consensual restoration a 'dystopic, selfish, postmodern dumpster fire.' Scholar Charles Acland argues the flawed RKO cut is itself part of film history; 'fixing' it is a 'historical absurdity.' Saatchi concedes ethical gray areas, like using deceased actors' likenesses, admitting 'There is no argument for why that’s defensible — other than that’s the only way to do it.'

Yet for its architects, the drive is restoration, not invention. They have a detailed blueprint from Rose's research. 'We’re trying to use AI to give something back,' Rose says, presenting it as a potentially beautiful application for a technology often viewed with fear. The result, whether seen as service or sacrilege, will test the limits of how we preserve—and redefine—our cultural heritage.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter