Amazon used artificial intelligence to replicate the voices of actors in its upcoming Road House remake, a lawsuit has alleged.
The online retailer and its subsidiary MGM Studios are being sued by R Lance Hill, who penned the screenplay for the 1989 movie.
Amazon’s glossy take on the cheesy action flick stars Jake Gyllenhaal as an ex-UFC fighter who takes a job at a rowdy dive bar in the Florida Keys.
Hill, who goes by the pen name David Lee Henry, has accused Amazon of ignoring his copyright claim to the original film. He claims the company took “extreme measures” to complete the project before United Artists’ rights expired last November and copyright reverted to him. This included using AI during last year’s Hollywood workers’ strike, according to the lawsuit.
Amazon allegedly used AI to clone the voices of the actors in the remake, Hill alleges. Amazon has rubbished the claims, telling Variety that the lawsuit is “completely without merit”.
An Amazon MGM Studios spokesperson said: “The film does not use any AI in place of actors’ voices. We look forward to defending ourselves against these claims.”
A studio source also told the publication that if AI was used at any time, it would have been by film-makers during early cuts and not by the studio.
The use of artificial intelligence in film-making has become a heated topic in Hollywood. Now that technology is capable of accurately mimicking a person’s voice, and even their likeness, some writers and actors fear they could be replaced altogether.
The issue was a sticking point during the months-long Hollywood strike that paralysed the industry last year. In the end, studios and streamers agreed to gain permission before using digital replicas and compensate talent if they did.
On the other hand, some stars like Michael Douglas and Bruce Willis are preparing for the AI onslaught with plans to license their likeness. Still, others like Tom Hanks and Scarlett Johansson have criticised the shady use of digital doppelgangers without consent.
Road House was supposed to be a splashy release for Amazon Prime Video but has been mired in controversy. Over its troubled path to streaming it has been boycotted by its director, it lost its original lead, Ronda Rousey, and has faced the accusations of AI use.
For his part, Hill wants the movie blocked from release before its March 21 debut on Amazon Prime Video.
