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Credit: DisneyArtificial Intelligence, also known as AI, is growing fast. And by fast, we mean at lightspeed.
AI has dominated conversations over the course of the last year, and it’s only going to be even more prominent as it continues to grow. Many companies have already elected to replace jobs once done by humans with technology, and Disney is undoubtedly going down that same road.
Disney’s entertainment division has become synonymous with brands like Pixar, Star Wars, Marvel, and National Geographic. Over the years, Disney has brought in many major actors and actresses to play parts in its franchises, including the likes of Johnny Depp, Dwayne Johnson, Brie Larson, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Pedro Pascall, Natalie Portman, and many others.
Of course, one of Disney’s biggest problems moving forward in terms of actors is its relationship with Johnny Depp, who is best known for playing Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean. Depp and Disney have seemingly been on two opposite ends of the spectrum since before the defamation trial with his ex-wife Amber Heard ever occurred. Depp said he wouldn’t return to Disney for $300 million, and though there have been many rumors surrounding the two parties reuniting– including Pirates of the Caribbean Producer Jerry Bruckheimer sharing that he wants to see a reunion— it hasn’t happened as of yet.
As Disney looks to stay away from Johnny Depp– and Depp looks to stay away from Disney– could AI play a part in the decision?
A screenshot from the Disney Plus (Disney+) movie Prom Pact, which was released this year on the streaming platform, shows a crazy sight. Reported by Cordcutter News, Disney actually used AI actors and actresses in the movie. They look pretty real, don’t they?
@lgbtrinas shared the photo on Twitter.
why are there ai people in prom pact… ?
why are there ai people in prom pact…? pic.twitter.com/FwdozCo4ZG
— kayla (@lgbtrinas) April 2, 2023
The CGI characters can only be seen for a few seconds sitting in the first few rows, among some human actors, and it looks as if Disney used this as an opportunity to “fill the stands” during the game, rather than worry about finding and paying a bunch of extras.
While AI is not yet in a position to generate a character like Captain Jack Sparrow and completely and totally mimic his every move, the technology is learning faster than we all might realize.
Could it be that we see a Pirates of the Caribbean 6 starring names like Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, just for a CGI Captain Jack Sparrow to make a cameo at the very end with no lines? It’s honestly not a long shot by any stretch of the imagination, and it’s certainly something to take into account as the company moves forward with the franchise.
Of course, it should also be noted that there are rumors that Disney may elect to continue forward with the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise with an animated series on Disney+.
What do you think about CGI? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!