Amazon-Backed AI Startup Plans AI-Driven Reimagining of Lost Orson Welles Film Footage

Amazon-Backed Startup Fable Targets Lost Orson Welles Film with AI

Fable, a startup backed by Amazon’s Alexa Fund and self-described as the “Netflix of AI,” has unveiled an ambitious project to digitally reconstruct the missing 43 minutes of Orson Welles’ 1942 classic, The Magnificent Ambersons. This endeavor leverages Fable’s AI-driven storytelling platform, which allows users to create cartoons and narratives through AI prompts.

AI Narrative Model to Recreate Lost Film Scenes

Filmmaker Brian Rose, who has spent five years attempting to restore Welles’ original vision, plans to use Fable’s newly developed AI model capable of generating long-form, complex narratives. Over the next two years, Rose intends to employ this technology to remake the lost footage from The Magnificent Ambersons. The project will combine AI generation with traditional filmmaking techniques, including reshooting scenes with contemporary actors whose faces will be digitally replaced by recreations of the original cast.

Rights and Ethical Concerns Surround Project

Fable has not obtained the necessary rights to the film, nor has it sought approval from the Welles estate. David Reeder, representing Welles’ daughter Beatrice, criticized the initiative in Variety, calling it “an attempt to generate publicity on the back of Welles’ creative genius” and dismissing it as a “purely mechanical exercise” devoid of the original filmmaker’s innovative spirit. Though the estate embraces AI for certain voice modeling applications, it objects to this particular project, especially due to the absence of consultation.

Why Revisit an Obscure Classic?

The Magnificent Ambersons is often overshadowed by Welles’ more celebrated Citizen Kane. The film is notable for its troubled history—cut dramatically by the studio and re-edited with a new ending, it remains a symbol of lost artistic potential. Fable and Rose appear motivated by a desire to restore what was lost, particularly lamenting the destruction of a notable four-minute unbroken moving camera shot, of which only 50 seconds survive in the recut version.

Challenges of AI-Driven Film Restoration

Despite technological advances, critics argue that AI-generated reconstructions cannot replicate the original artistry or creative intent of Welles. The digital recreation will ultimately be a new interpretation rather than an authentic restoration. Without rediscovered footage, the original version of The Magnificent Ambersons remains irretrievably lost.

While Fable’s project showcases the expanding role of AI in creative industries, it also raises questions about intellectual property, artistic integrity, and the limits of technology in cultural restoration.

Anthony Ha is TechCrunch’s weekend editor with extensive experience in technology and media reporting. He is based in New York City.