AI criticised in film industry but cloned voices could become as common as stunt doubles, says technology expert
For Hollywood A-listers, having a cloned voice double could become as common as having a stunt double, an AI expert has told Sky News.
While both the BAFTAs and Oscars annually celebrate craftsmanship and creativity, off-screen this award season a battle for votes has played out with some industry voices critical of the seemingly secretive way in which the technology is being deployed.
Brady Corbet, the director of 10-time Oscar nominee The Brutalist, has found himself having to clarify to Deadline how actors Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones “worked for months” with a dialect coach “to perfect their accents” – but that artificial intelligence was also used in post-production to ensure a cleaner edit of some of their Hungarian vowel sounds.
Emilia Perez, A Complete Unknown and Dune: Part Two have also been drawn into the debate for using AI in some way.
While on the other side of the debate, Hugh Grant‘s horror Heretic provocatively declared on its end credits: “No generative AI was used in the making of this film.”
Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones star in The Brutalist. Pic: Rex/ Everett/Shutterstock
‘Horrendous’ dubbing may be a thing of the past
Ausrine Skarnulyte, the chief executive of an AI company called Voice-Swap, said the film industry needed to understand “the genie is out of the bottle”.
“We’re seeing increased adoption across the film and TV industry even though at the moment no one’s really talking about it, at least not as loudly as they would like to admit.”
“Voice doubles is essentially where the technology is going,” she insisted.
Not only would allowing their voice to be officially cloned for a project potentially save actors time, but crucially it could save studios money.
Ausrine Skarnulyte, from Voice-Swap, spoke to Sky’s Katie Spencer
Skarnulyte said: “Any sound engineer with access to official AI voice models can then do post-production edits when the actor is not in the studio, without needing them to come back and re-record lines.”
According to Skarnulyte, who is originally from Lithuania, another benefit is how it transforms dubbing a film into a different language.
“I grew up watching Steven Spielberg, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Arnold Schwarzenegger 80s action movies, and the narration itself… the dubbing was horrendous.
“With this technology, we could build Antonio Banderas’ voice to speak in any language… it serves so that you could mimic someone’s natural voice pretty easily.”
Pic: AP
Sky correspondent’s AI voice experience
How quickly can it be done? In less than a day, using a 45-minute recording of my speech, the team at Voice-Swap were able to create a basic AI version of me.
It is an unsettling experience to hear myself suddenly fluent in Lithuanian. The timbre and tone of what they demo sounds just like me and even has, I’m told, a slight British lilt to keep things authentic.
Mastering even the basics of a language for an actor, like this, would take months – this has required zero learning on my part.
Katie Spencer spoke some words in Lithuanian and then compared her voice to a basic AI version of her speech
While some may assume it instantly puts out of work those who’ve made careers out of redubbing stars for different territories, that actually isn’t the case.
Skarnulyte explained that she used recordings of herself speaking Lithuanian and then voice-to-voice AI conversion, effectively grafting my voice onto hers.
Establishing the boundaries, she said, is most important.
“You need to make sure that it’s used within the professional setting, that there is clear attribution in place, that there is transparent data set.”
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Ultimate guide to film awards season
Opposition to growing AI influence
But not everyone is convinced that the pros outweigh the cons.
Actor John Magaro, who stars in the Munich Olympics thriller September 5, said the creeping influence of AI is “a frightening thing”.
He told Sky News earlier this year: “I wouldn’t encourage anyone to become an actor nowadays. It’s daunting, I don’t know where it’s heading.”
Actor John Magaro. Pic: Reuters
According to industry publication Variety, declaring what AI is in your film will be mandatory at next year’s Oscars.
“There’s talk of putting in a requirement that you have to disclose your use of AI, which is not a bad idea,” deputy awards and features editor Jenelle Riley told Sky News.
She added: “We disclose everything: no animals were harmed on set, we list all of the artists who worked on a movie…as long as everyone is transparent and it’s ok with the actors and everyone involved then AI can be a really useful tool.”
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For Hollywood A-listers, having a cloned voice double could become as common as having a stunt double, an AI expert has told Sky News.
From visual effects to script analysis, AI is already being used within the industry.
While that might be scary for some, those who are working with AI argue it needs to be seen as a collaborator, not a competitor, in the creative process.
As Skarnulyte explained: “This is where we need to define the relationship between the tech and the creative industries.
“AI is already here and now it’s just a matter of time – we either take it into our hands and we control it, or it will control us.”
Despite The Who’s Quadrophenia being set over 60 years ago, Pete Townshend’s themes of identity, mental health, and modern masculinity are just as relevant today.
The album is having a renaissance as Pete Townshend’s Quadrophenia A Mod ballet is being brought to life via dance at Sadler’s Wells East, and Sky News has an exclusive first look.
As Townshend puts it, the album he wrote is “perfect” for the stage.
Pete Townshend
“My wife Rachel did the orchestration for me, and as soon as I heard it I said to her it would make a fabulous ballet and we never really let that go,” he tells Sky News.
“Heavy percussion, concussive sequences. They’re explosive moments. They’re also romantic movement moments.”
If you identify with the demographics of Millennial, Gen Y or Gen Z, you might not be familiar with The Who and Mod culture.
But in post-war Britain the Mods were a cultural phenomenon characterised by fashion, music, and of course, scooters. The young rebels were seen as a counter-culture to the establishment and The Who, with Roger Daltry’s lead vocals and Pete Townshend’s writing, were the soundtrack.
Quadrophenia the album is widely regarded as an essay on the British adolescent experience at the time, focusing on the life of fictional protagonist Jimmy – a young Mod struggling with his sanity, self-doubt, and alienation.
Townshend sets the rock opera in 1965 but thinks its themes of identity, mental health, and modern masculinity are just as relevant today.
He says: “The phobias and the restrictions and the unwritten laws about how young men should behave. The ground that they broke, that we broke because I was a part of it.
“Men were letting go of [the] wartime-related, uniform-related stance that if I wear this kind of outfit it makes me look like a man.”
Paris Fitzpatrick and Pete Townshend. Pic: Johan Persson
This struggle of modern masculinity and identity appears to be echoing today as manosphere influencers like Andrew Tate, incel culture, and Netflix’s Adolescence make headlines.
For dancer Paris Fitzpatrick, who takes on the lead role of Jimmy, the story resonates.
Paris Fitzpatrick, who takes on the lead role of Jimmy in the ballet
“I think there’s a connection massively and I think there may even be a little more revival in some way,” he tells Sky News.
“I love that myself. I love non-conforming to gender norms and typical masculinity; I think it’s great to challenge things.”
Despite the album being written before he was born, the dancer says he was familiar with the genre already.
“I actually did an art GCSE project about Mods and rockers and Quadrophenia,” he says.
“I think we’ll be able to bring it to new audiences and hopefully, maybe people will be inspired to to learn more about their music and the whole cultural movement of the early 60s.”
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In 1979, the album was adapted into a film directed by Franc Roddam starring Ray Winstone and Sting but Townshend admits because the film missed key points he is “not a big fan”.
“What it turned out to be in the movie was a story about culture, about social scenario and less about really the specifics of mental illness and how that affects young people,” he adds, also complimenting Roddam’s writing for the film.
Perhaps a testament to Pete Townshend’s creativity, Quadrophenia started as an album, was successfully adapted to film and now it will hit the stage as a contemporary ballet.
It appears that over six decades later Mod culture is still cool and their issues still relatable.
Quadrophenia, a Mod Ballet will tour to Plymouth Theatre Royal from 28 May to 1 June 2025, Edinburgh Festival Theatre from 10 to 14 June 2025 and the Mayflower, Southampton from 18 to 21 June 2025 before having its official opening at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London on 24 June running to 13 July 2025 and then visiting The Lowry, Salford from 15 to 19 July 2025.
Russell Brand has been charged with rape and two counts of sexual assault between 1999 and 2005.
The Metropolitan Police say the 50-year-old comedian, actor and author has also been charged with one count of oral rape and one count of indecent assault.
The charges relate to four women.
He is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday 2 May.
Police have said Brand is accused of raping a woman in the Bournemouth area in 1999 and indecently assaulting a woman in the Westminster area of London in 2001.
He is also accused of orally raping and sexually assaulting a woman in Westminster in 2004.
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Ashna Hurynag discusses Russell Brand’s charges
The fourth charge alleges that a woman was sexually assaulted in Westminster between 2004 and 2005.
Police began investigating Brand, from Oxfordshire, in September 2023 after receiving a number of allegations.
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The comedian has denied the accusations and said he has “never engaged in non-consensual activity”.
He added in a video on X: “Of course, I am now going to have the opportunity to defend these charges in court, and I’m incredibly grateful for that.”
Metropolitan Police Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, said: “The women who have made reports continue to receive support from specially trained officers.
“The Met’s investigation remains open and detectives ask anyone who has been affected by this case, or anyone who has any information, to come forward and speak with police.”
Tom Cruise has paid tribute to Val Kilmer, wishing his Top Gun co-star “well on the next journey”.
Cruise, speaking at the CinemaCon film event in Las Vegas on Thursday, asked for a moment’s silence to reflect on the “wonderful” times shared with the star, whom he called a “dear friend”.
Kilmer, who died of pneumonia on Tuesday aged 65, rocketed to fame starring alongside Cruise in the 1986 blockbuster Top Gun, playing Tom ‘Iceman’ Kazansky, a rival fighter pilot to Cruise’s character Maverick.
Tom Cruise said ‘I wish you well on the next journey’. Pic: AP
Val Kilmer in 2017. Pic: AP
His last part was a cameo role in the 2022 blockbuster sequel Top Gun: Maverick.
Cruise, on stage at Caesars Palace on Thursday, said: “I’d like to honour a dear friend of mine, Val Kilmer. I can’t tell you how much I admire his work, how grateful and honoured I was when he joined Top Gun and came back later for Top Gun: Maverick.
“I think it would be really nice if we could have a moment together because he loved movies and he gave a lot to all of us. Just kind of think about all the wonderful times that we had with him.
“I wish you well on the next journey.”
The moment of silence followed a string of tributes from Hollywood figures including Cher, Francis Ford Coppola, Antonio Banderas and Michelle Monaghan.
Kilmer’s daughter Mercedes told the New York Times on Wednesday that the actor had died from pneumonia.
Tom Cruise at Caesars Palace on Thursday. Pic: AP
Diagnosed with throat cancer in 2014, Kilmer discussed his illness and recovery in his 2020 memoir Your Huckleberry and Amazon Prime documentary Val.
He underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments for the disease and also had a tracheostomy which damaged his vocal cords and permanently gave him a raspy speaking voice.
Kilmer played Batman in the 1995 film Batman Forever and received critical acclaim for his portrayal of rock singer Jim Morrison in the 1991 movie The Doors.
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He also starred in True Romance and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, as well as playing criminal Chris Shiherlis in Michael Mann’s 1995 movie Heat and Doc Holliday in the 1993 film Tombstone.
In 1988 he married British actress Joanne Whalley, whom he met while working on fantasy adventure Willow.
The couple had two children before divorcing in 1996.
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