De-aged stars, cloned voices: How AI is changing acting

Los Angeles Times ^ | July 24, 2025 3 AM PT | Josh Rottenberg

[dfwgator]

“Prepare yourself for John Wayne and Cary Grant in La Cage aux Folles.”

[montag813]

Great! I’d love some new John Wayne and Cary Grant movies ... As long as they are like the originals in theme.

PLEASE don't tempt them! They'd do a "Brokeback Mountain 2"

[montag813]

In a similar vein, LOOKER, a 1981 film where beautiful models are digitized and then eliminated so they never grow old.

Michael Crichton was always chock full of ahead-of-its-time ideas. Too bad 'Looker' was kind of a bore.

[montag813]

In that movie Looker did you remember a throw away scene that featured an AI generated politician doing a speech? Remember the scene where they were digitizing Suzan Dey?

Ah....Susan Dey. So lovely.

[Overtaxed]

Might as well just watch someone play a video game.

[Vermont Lt]

All of the pining for John Wayne in this thread makes me wonder what movies you watched? John Wayne was a stiff. None of his roles made me think that he was a good actor. He was one dimensional, stiff, and monotone.

[Organic Panic]

The sheriff is near...

[GingisK]

I won’t watch cartoons any more. I grew up.

[unlearner]

Film used to be a very expensive medium. Digital video, including recording, editing, and effects, has drastically lowered the cost of filmmaking. AI will make it even more affordable and accessible. But this may mean we just get that much more content that’s not worth watching.

Where AI could do the most good is if it could help us sort through the bazillion hours of useless content to find the hidden gems worth watching.

[minnesota_bound]

AI videos are getting better. I have been watching some short videos that are more entertaining then the big hollywood productions.

Look at these Star Wars and Bigfoot shorts that have better CGI then Superman and a better script. Once you seen one you want to see more.

Stormtrooper Vlog pt. 1-7 | Poor Greg | Star Wars Vlog
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2P_Ek9xzio

Bigfoot Vlog: I Was ABDUCTED to AREA 51… What I Saw Will Haunt Me Forever 👽⚠️
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMwGguf8GnE

[minnesota_bound]

I am shock to find out that De Niro was swearing in a movie....

[minnesota_bound]

The entertainment industry is destroying itself and it is because they have lousy music and tv shows and movies. AI won’t improve this.

They need to get rid of the woke racist dei protools autotune garbage. They even have quota’s for award shows...! Don’t meet their checklist then no award for you! They need to write better stories. There are a million of them but they instead recycle then add in woke racist dei garbage.

The marvel movies, star trek, star wars franchises that have now been wrecked.

Taylor Swift cannot sing or dance or play musical instruments well. She just happens to be in an age of mediocrity. She makes big money but her voice and music is awful.

AI is just another tool. Justine Bateman wrote that she does not like AI and has used an iPhone to make a few movies.

Well back in my day we used film that was on silver nitrate!

It all comes down to the writing and directing and acting and creating a scene. If it is a bad story it won’t matter how good of an actor you are or that the studio used AI at all.