AI-Assisted Edith Piaf Biopic in Development by Warner Music
Warner Music Group will resurrect Edith Piaf via AI in a new biopic titled Edith. The “La vie en rose” singer, also known as the Sparrow of Paris, is considered France's most significant popular singer.
According to Variety, Warner Music Group partnered with Edith Piaf's estate for the 90-minute biopic that covers Piaf's life in Paris and New York between the 1920s and 1963. An AI-generated facsimile of Piaf's voice will narrate the film, which claims to “uncover aspects of her life that were previously unknown.” An official statement from Warner Music Group about Edith reads: “Animation will provide a modern take on her story, while the inclusion of archival footage, stage and TV performances, personal footage, and TV interviews will provide audiences with an authentic look at the significant moments of Piaf’s life.”
According to Warner Music, AI technology had access to hundreds of Edith Piaf's voice clips and images that will allow for her “distinct voice and image to be revived to further enhance the authenticity and emotional impact of her story.” Warner Music will use Piaf's original recordings in the film as well.
Warner Music Group Has the Blessing of Edith Piaf's Estate to Re-create Her Likeness
Edith screenwriters Julie Veille and Gilles Marliac are working in conjunction with Warner Music Entertainment president Charlie Cohen to bring their script to life with the help of AI. Although the topic of using AI to impersonate dead celebrities without their permission persists as a hot-button issue, Edith seems to have the blessing of Edith Piaf's estate. Warner Music released the “proof of concept” image above for Edith.
“It has been the greatest privilege to work alongside Edith’s estate to help bring her story into the 21st century,” Veille said in a statement. “When creating the film, we kept asking ourselves, ‘If Edith were still with us, what messages would she want to convey to the younger generations?’ Her story is one of incredible resilience, of overcoming struggles, and defying social norms to achieve greatness – and one that is as relevant now as it was then. Our goal is to utilize the latest advancements in animation and technology to bring the timeless story to audiences of all ages.”
The executors of Edit Piaf's estate, Catherine Glavas and Christie Laume, responded in a statement: “It’s been a special and touching experience to be able to hear Edith’s voice once again — the technology has made it feel like we were back in the room with her. The animation is beautiful and through this film we’ll be able to show the real side of Edith — her joyful personality, her humor and her unwavering spirit.”
Alain Veille, CEO of Warner Music France, added: “Edith is one of France’s greatest ever artists and she is still a source of so much pride to the French people. It is such a delicate balancing act when combining new technology with heritage artists, and it was imperative to us that we worked closely with Edith’s estate and handled this project with the utmost respect.”
Robert DeSalvo is a professional writer and editor with over 25 years of experience at print and online publications such as Movieline, Playboy, PCH, Fandango, and The A.V. Club. He currently lives in Los Angeles, the setting of his favorite movie, Blade Runner. Robert has interviewed dozens of actors, directors, authors, musicians, and other celebrities during his journalism career, including Brian De Palma, Nicolas Cage, Dustin Hoffman, John Waters, Sigourney Weaver, Julianne Moore, Bryan Cranston, Anne Rice, and many more. Horror movies, sci-fi, cult films as well as gothic, postpunk, and synthwave music are what Robert geeks over.
