Latest news with #AndySerkis
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Animation, Writers & Actors Guilds Hold 'Historic' Anti-Generative AI Protest At Annecy: 'GenAI Seeks Not To Support Artists, But To Destroy Them'
Representatives of international animation, screenwriters and actors guilds staged a protest at the Annecy Animation Film Festival on Thursday to voice their fears over the implications of generative AI for their professions and human creativity in general. Around 150 people joined them on the stretch of grass known as Le Paquier in front of the festival's key hub of the Bonlieu National Theater, holding guild flags and banners expressing their rejection of AI. More from Deadline Warner & DC Studios Making 'Mister Miracle' Animated Series With Showrunner Tom King 'Animal Farm' Review: Andy Serkis Directs Seth Rogen And All-Star Voice Cast In Clever And Chilling Take On Orwell's Classic Novella – Annecy Animation Festival 'In Your Dreams' Trailer: Netflix Unveils Animated Comedy Adventure With Craig Robinson & Simu Liu In Voice Cast AI and generative AI is a hot button topic at Annecy this year. Many animation professionals are wary about what AI means for their creativity, skills and livelihoods, while a small but growing group is advocating for the sector to embrace the technology. Belgian-based director, storyboard, layout and background artist Lauri Sanders, who heads up the AI task force at Belgium's animation workers union ABRACA, read out a statement laying out their concerns and demands. Read the full transcript below. 'Generative AI is neither a tool, nor effective, nor cheap. It is a copying machine that is flawed, destructive and expensive to run. GenAI literally builds upon and draws not only from the copyrighted works it was trained on, but also from the local human cultural values and norms embedded within those works,' read one extract. (scroll down for full statement) It has been signed by more than 20 guilds representing creative professions including the UK's Bectu, Ireland's video game org GWUI and animation workers union AWI, America's The Animation Guild, Netherlands' Kunstenbond and a number of French bodies including writers' bodies La Guilde and Syndicat des Scénaristes and animation union SPIAC-CGT. As well as raising the alarm over the threat posed by unchecked generative AI, the statement also makes demands around consent in relation to work being used to train Generative AI, compensation and control for artists over how their work is then used. Thursday's protest and the statement were spearheaded by France's Les Intervalles, the association against abuse and discrimination in animation. French actor and animator Milo Hustache-Mathieu and SPIAC-CGT member told the assembled crowd that the protest marked an 'historic' event. 'Having a such a coalition right now takes us so high. The whole sector is in crisis and AI is looming over our heads. It's amazing that, thanks to Les Intervalles, we managed to gather that many associations, unions and organizations from all the around the world,' he said, calling on other bodies to sign up too. 'This danger of generative AI shows the bonds between workers internationally, even if we're all in different countries and can't negotiate the same things. We need to bond together. Let's keep up the fight.' Speakers from crowd included UK hand-drawn animation specialist and influencer Howard Wimshurst who said the gathering was an important step. 'What we see here with these flags represents something essential. It is not the solution but without it we have no hope and that is solidarity,' he said. 'This year, I've seen a lot of films. Luckily there are less AI entries which is good because it means I have to walk out less times but there are panels where you'll hear people get up on stage and say things like, it's just a tool, we need to use it, otherwise we'll be left behind. 'There are speakers here who want to collect their thirty pieces of silver and they will turn on friends they've known for years and decades and it's really sad. Don't listen to them. They also want to dazzle you with this idea, that it's all about the technology. 'The technology is a vehicle for exploitation. It's a vehicle to extract data that people have worked their entire lives to create, they put everything into that data. It's not just data. Data is such a reductive word, but unfortunately that is how it can be exploited. So don't listen to them.' Here's the full statement: This statement was composed and supported by a collective of international Animation Unions, federations, and organisations calling for action in regards to the usage of generative Artificial Intelligence and its destructive impact, not only on the global animation industry and the craft itself, but also on everyone who is employed by it, our culture and our is an undeniable fact that the animation industry has been suffering greatly these last few years. The economics of streaming have been proven to be not at all lucrative and the increased spending during the pandemic led to the unavoidable burst of the streaming bubble. It is the workers that were staffed up with false promises that are feeling the repercussions through mass layoffs, the increased use of outsourcing, mergers and acquisitions that lead to the closure of studios and ever decreasing echoes across multiple audiovisual entertainment industries and affects workers in animation, music, VFX and the gaming rapid expansion of Generative AI in animation is propelled by the perceived beliefs that it is the answer to these developments. To work in these industries is a constant battle to prove our economic worth to a very small number of people, and to those people genAI brings an offer too good to be true: a near magical machine that can produce words and images from a simple and vague AI is neither a tool, nor effective, nor cheap. It is a copying machine that is flawed, destructive and expensive to run. GenAI literally builds upon and draws not only from the copyrighted works it was trained on, but also from the local human cultural values and norms embedded within those works. It poses an immediate threat to creative innovation and renewal, replacing the richness and diversity that characterize human creativity with a creativity shaped by the biases of those controlling and using it. It actively pushes creatives out of their respective industries, which will not only lead to the inevitable loss of knowledge and talent that will never be recuperated fully, but also directly leads to the privatisation of allart process and is a technology that seeks not to support artists, but to destroy them. The absence of humans is a feature, not a bug, of AI art. It is not a tool. We do not 'use' genAi – we negotiate with it to try and make it do the things we want it to do. GenAI promises only the loss of employment and livelihood for the millions of people worldwide that work at keeping the world connected through their the audiovisual industry is not the only victim of this increasingly damaging tech development. This same technology is being used to foster dissent, confusion and distrust among the public and has wide-ranging implications beyond international security, including the fabrication of criminal evidence and news, new forms of sexual harassment including deepfake pornography and/or privacy computational power required to train and use generative AI models demands a staggering amount of electricity and water which directly strains municipal water supplies and disrupts local ecosystems. This unchecked growth and unjustified techno-optimism comes with incredible environmental consequences, including expanding demand for computing power, larger carbon footprints, shifts in patterns of electricity demands and an accelerated depletion of natural resources, additionally exploiting without any respect for human such, there is a need for protection frameworks around the ethical and fair use of AI. For this we refer to the research brief of the International Labour Organization (ILO) which proposes the concept of '3Cs' (compensation, control on the use of the work of the creator, informed consent), but also for policies, nationally and internationally, to manage workforce transition through skills development, as well as the use of social protection to support workers affected by A reasonable balance between on the one hand technological innovation and on the other hand a sustainable and strong cultural and creative sector, requires that training AI with copyright-protected works should only be possible with the (informed) consent of the author(s) of those Performers and creators should be fairly compensated for the use of their work including but not limited to illustrations, animations, writing, voicework, likeness, or image, in AI generated Creators—such as writers, musicians, filmmakers, visual artists, and other professionals—need to be able to govern how their works, identities, and creative inputs are used, adapted, or reproduced by AI systems. This control ensures that the creators' intellectual property (IP), labour, and reputations are respected and that they receive fair recognition and compensation. In order for this to be realized, creators need to have an understanding on what AI – and particularly GenAI – entails; it is also necessary to build agency among them to negotiate relevant employment call upon the regulators, lawmakers and governments to fight for culture and art and the value it provides, to draft and implement legislation that protects those workers and those call upon producers, showrunners, studio heads and production staff to understand and protect our creative culture and to prioritize both the workers and our call upon all creative workers worldwide to unite. We ask that you support human made works. We ask that you speak up against the implementation of AI. We ask that you become informed and unionise with your fellow workers to protect ourart and culture, our work and our and supported by:ABRACA (Belgium, animation workers union)AGrAF (France, directors, graphic authors and writers association)BECTU (Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union)AWI (Ireland, animation workers union)CNT-SIPMCS (France, press media culture and show union)CSVI (Spain, video game union)FIA (The International Federation of Actors)FIM (The International Federation of Musicians)FNSAC-CGT (France, CGT Federation of Entertainment Unions)La Guilde française des scénaristes (France, writers union)GWUI (Ireland, videogame workers union)Les Intervalles (France, association against abuse and discrimination in animation)Kunstenbond (Netherlands, illustration, comic and animation workers)La Ligue des auteurs professionnels (France, authors union)Syndicat des Scénaristes (France, writers union)SFA-CGT (France, actors dubbing, comedians union)Snam-CGT (France, musicians union)SNTPCT (France, animation and VFX workers union)SPIAC-CGT (France, animation workers union)STJV (France, video game workers union)The Animation Guild (USA, animation workers and writers union)TouchePasàMaVF (France, actors dubbing association against GenAI)Uni MEI (International Art and Entertainment Alliance) Best of Deadline 'Stick' Release Guide: When Do New Episodes Come Out? 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Geek Tyrant
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Andy Serkis Says THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM Will Feel Like THE LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy — GeekTyrant
Andy Serkis is officially headed back to Middle-earth as an actor and director, and he just gave a promising update on The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum . It's exactly the kind of reassurance fans of the original trilogy have been hoping for. In a recent interview with Collider while promoting his upcoming adaptation of Animal Farm , Serkis shared that while the film is still in its early stages, real movement is happening soon. Prep work is ramping up in the next few months, with filming set to begin in early to mid-2026. The release is slated for December 2027. Serkis talked about the film saying: 'We're very early on in the process. We've been talking about the film over the course of the last year. We're about to start a period of prep in the next few months or so. 'We will be shooting in the early to mid-part of next year, I guess, and then it'll be as long as it takes to shoot, which — it's a sizable movie — all ready for a December 2027 release. 'I'm incredibly excited to go back and work with my friends and family in New Zealand and actually do something which is, I think, going to be surprising, and yet very much part of the lore and the feel of the trilogy. 'The sensibility of it will feel, I think, close to that, and yet we're investigating in greater depth the character formerly known as Smeagol, but mostly known as Gollum.' Serkis is aiming for the same tone, scope, and heart of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. That should ease some anxiety from fans still smarting from the uneven Hobbit films or skeptical of more Tolkien spin-offs. Set during the events of The Fellowship of the Ring , The Hunt for Gollum follows Gandalf's pursuit of Gollum after realizing Bilbo's ring is actually the One Ring. It's an interquel that fills in a crucial gap, and Serkis, who will also reprise his iconic role as Gollum, is the only confirmed cast member so far. But, Ian McKellen is also expected to return. Lord of the Rings fans are pretty protective of the original trilogy's legacy. Expanding on that world is always a high-wire act. But Serkis isn't rushing in. He's taking his time, planning carefully, and grounding the project in what made the originals so special. His deep connection to the material, and to Gollum in particular, makes him a uniquely qualified guide for this chapter. I hoipe that he pulls it off. If this movie delivers on what Serkis is promising, a character-focused journey with the emotional and mythic weight of the trilogy, it could be a powerful return to form.
Wales Online
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Andy Serkis wants to keep his Animal Farm adaptation full of ‘innocence'
Andy Serkis wants to keep his Animal Farm adaptation full of 'innocence' The 58-year-old actor and filmmaker is set to helm an animated take on George Orwell's dystopian fable Andy Serkis (Image: Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images ) Andy Serkis wants to keep his Animal Farm adaptation full of "innocence" to balance the book's darkness. The 58-year-old actor and filmmaker is set to helm an animated take on George Orwell's dystopian fable – which tells the story of a group of farm animals who rebel against their human owner in the hope of creating a society where they can be free and equal. He has now told Variety about why he chose animation as the format to tell the tale: "We started to work on it and did a lot of experimenting, which led us to realize that animation was the right medium for this adaptation. "That allowed us to keep the innocence of the storytelling that the original book had, while being able to say much more than live action would allow us to do. "In live action, such a story would necessarily have been darker from the outset. Whereas with an animated movie, breaking those ties with reality and keeping Orwell's book, which he described as a fairy tale, in that realm gave us much more freedom to still have emotional engagement with the characters, keep it innocent, and then progressively let the darker themes come in underneath that." Andy added when asked what value the fable has in the context of today's troubled times: "To really remember that truth is something to be valued. Honesty, selflessness as well. Article continues below "We have all become self-driven, and I think it's worth reminding ourselves that there is satisfaction to be had in working not for yourself but for the benefit of others. "That all sounds very woolly and, in a way, utopian. But I do think that there are certain core human values that are slipping away, and I think that our story somehow questions that." Nicholas Stoller has adapted the screenplay for Andy's long-awaited movie, which had previously been set up at Netflix, and will produce with Adam Nagle, Dave Rosenbaum and Jonathan Cavendish. Article continues below Adam said in a statement announcing the project was underway: "Ever since 1945, when George Orwell first published Animal Farm, the story has remained relevant and a key instrument in understanding how the world works."
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Animal Farm' Review: Andy Serkis Directs Seth Rogen And All-Star Voice Cast In Clever And Chilling Take On Orwell's Classic Novella
George Orwell had a unique talent for predicting the future in his books, notably 1984, but now seeing director Andy Serkis' new animated take on Orwell's 1945 all-too-predictive allegory and satirical story, Animal Farm, he seems more like a Nostradamas than ever. With a screenplay, alternately funny and frighteningly perceptive by Nicholas Stoller, this gorgeously animated version is not outwardly trying to be political but nevertheless is uncannily meeting its time and proving to be a little too close for comfort to America's drift toward authoritarianism. How did Orwell know this little parable he meant to mirror the 1917 Russian revolution, read by school kids for decades, could become so relevant in 2025, and for that matter how did these filmmakers and Serkis know? He started his quest to bring this new version to the screen at least as far back to 2013, three years before Donald Trump was elected for his first term, and fully eleven years before he returned to finish the job he started. But actually, the scenario Animal Farm paints has relevance for countries around the world who are experiencing these kinds of dictator-wannabes. Beware this is a 'toon with much to think about – and to fear. And oh yeah, it is also wildly entertaining. Animal Farm had its World Premiere today at the Annecy Animation Festival in France. More from Deadline Chinese AI Video Generator Vidu Strikes IP Deal For Animated Series 'Journey To The West: Legends Of The Monkey King' Tom Clancy's 'Splinter Cell: Deathwatch': Fans Go Wild For Clips Of Netflix Animated Series At Annecy As Creative Team Detail Inspirations Ranging From Michael Mann To Satoshi Kon To Tom Cruise Marvel Animation Unveils First Episode Of 'Eyes Of Wakanda' Opening In Ancient Crete & Setting Up 3,000-Year Search For Stolen Vibranium Artefacts You invariably know the story. A farm run by Farmer Jones is basically going under, debitors coming to collect and no way to keep it solvent. A big truck comes to pick up the animals and cart them off to oblivion when one of them, Snowball (nicely voiced by Laverne Cox) figures out what is happening and turns the tide creating an animal rebellion and leading to this motley four legged crew actually taking over and running the farm themselves. Man, as the opening narration suggests, had not treated them well. Now it is their turn. Joined by well-meaning piglet Lucky (Stranger Thing's Gaten Matarazzo) they lead the others into some mischievous adventures with their new found freedom, learning how to run what only humans had done before, particularly milking the cows – no easy task. But what seems like a good idea in taking over the farm begins to show its seams, especially with the self-centered and manipulative other leading pig, Napoleon (unmistakably Seth Rogen) trying to pull the strings in the background. He makes his big move after the discovery that Snowball and Lucky have secretly been working on a windmill to generate electricity in order to solve the milking problem, a turn of events that doesn't go down well and leads to the banishment of Snowball when Napoleon rallies the others against her. Now it is free reign for Napoleon to try to seize power, and in concert with the dogs he does just that. But this is an authoritarian personality who is out only for himself and his actions are all in that quest. He starts to figuratively burn the place down, break every previous rule, and urge the animals to eat all the stored grain, not worrying about having enough in the future. When the farm is again threatened, Napoleon and the pigs come up with a marketing idea and it goes over big as they all go to the mall and start indulging in human-like luxuries like never before. Enter Frieda Pilkington (Glenn Close in her best Cruella mode), a billionaire rival farm owner who sees an opportunity and a naive foil in Napoleon, who she butters up big time, him being oblivious to her real motivation: the building of a massive dam that will ultimately destroy the farm, even as Napoleon's dark side is willing to take what he sees as true glory at the cost of everyone else with the dam plan. When one pig, Puff (Iman Vellani) starts to sense trouble it puts Lucky between a rock and a hard place. Which way does he go and how will they all survive? Each character is so drawn and voiced so specifically this Animal Farm really does become a microcosm of society with Rogen's duplicitous Napoleon the classic case of someone consumed with power and his own narcissism (remind you of anyone?). Matarazzo's Lucky is the protagonist but one increasingly confused by events. Along the way there are others like the free-thinking Carl The Sheep (Jim Parsons), cranky Benjamin (Kathleen Turner), squirrely Squealer (Kieran Culkin), and more, including Boxer (beautifully voiced by Woody Harrelson) the dedicated hard working and morally upstanding horse who heartbreakingly will ultimately become a victim of this new pig-led government. Serkis, of course, can't resist playing a couple of parts himself and takes on the affable Rooster and Farmer Jones. You also can't watch this movie and the dynamics between animals and humans and not think of what Serkis, as an actor, brought to the Planet Of The Apes series as Caesar. The visuals of the film are meticulously thought out , and though not photo real have that look and design of authenticity in CGI animated form. The score by Brazilian composer Hector Pereira is right on point and the use of the Propellerheads and Shirley Bassey's collaboration on 'History Repeating' is a not-so-subtle comment , but perfectly-used song to reinforce what sadly happens as this animal brigade replaces the farm's previous human operation and start falling into the same traps. History repeating itself indeed. Although this may not quite sound like safe fare for the kiddies, this is that rare animated feature that works on many levels and thus will find favor with the whole family for different reasons. Animation or not, it looks to me to be one of the most important films of the year. Heed what Orwell is talking about before it all comes tumbling down. Producers of the Aniventure, Cinesite, Imaginarium production are Serkis, Adam Nagle, David Rosenbaum, Peter Nagle, Jonathan Cavendish. Eamonn Butler is Associate Director for Animation and Alex Parkinson is Associate Director for CGI. Title: Animal FarmFestival: AnnecyDirector: Andy SerkisScreenplay: Nicholas StollerCast: Seth Rogen, Gaten Matarazzo, Laverne Cox, Iman Vellani, Kieran Culkin, Jim Parsons, Woody Harrelson, Steve Buscemi, Glenn Close, Andy Serkis, Kathleen TurnerRunning Time: 1 hour and 36 minutes Best of Deadline Sean 'Diddy' Combs Sex-Trafficking Trial Updates: Cassie Ventura's Testimony, $10M Hotel Settlement, Drugs, Violence, & The Feds A Full Timeline Of Blake Lively & Justin Baldoni's 'It Ends With Us' Feud In Court, Online & In The Media Where To Watch All The 'John Wick' Movies: Streamers That Have All Four Films
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Goodfellas Racks Up Sales On Annecy-Bound ‘Little Amélie', ‘Arco' & ‘Angel's Egg'
EXCLUSIVE: Goodfellas Animation has unveiled a raft of deals on Annecy-bound animated features Little Amélie Or The Character Of Rain, Arco and Angel's Egg. Having world premiered as Special Screenings in Cannes, Little Amélie Or The Character Of Rain and Arco are both playing in Annecy's main competition, while 4K restoration Angel's Egg screens in Annecy Classics. More from Deadline 'Wallace & Gromit' Studio Aardman Partners With France's Foliascope On Cross-Border Stop-Motion Training Program Annecy Revs Up For 2025 Edition; Kicking Off With Michel Gondry & Matt Groening Honors & Shorts Selection Featuring New 'Stars Wars: Visions' Title Gkids Takes North America For Cannes & Annecy Title 'Little Amélie Or The Character Of Rain' Goodfellas Animation's Annecy slate also includes Andy Serkis' Animal Farm, featuring Serkis alongside Seth Rogen, Steve Buscemi, Glenn Close and Kieran Culkin among others in the voice cast, on which it will launch sales in unison with the premiere at the festival. In Europe, Little Amélie Or The Character Of Rain has sold to Benelux (Paradiso), Switzerland (Agora), Spain (A Contracorriente) UK (Vue Lumière), Italy (Lucky Red), Portugal (Cinemundo), Scandinavia (Another World/Njutafilms), Ex-Yugocslavia and Bulgaria (MCF), Romania (Independenta) and Poland (So Films). In the rest of the world, it has been acquired for Turkey (Yeni Bir Film), Latin America (Cine Canibal), Australia and New Zealand (Kismet), Japan (Comstock), Korea (JinJin), Hong Kong (Edko) and China (Blue Media). As previously announced, Gkids has acquired North American rights. Titled Amélie et la Métaphysique des tubes in French, the work is the feature directorial debut of French filmmakers Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han. The feature is adapted from award-winning Belgian writer Amélie Nothomb's autobiographical novel The Character of Rain, inspired by her own early years in Japan, where she was born to expat parents. It follows protagonist Amèlie as she grows aware of the world around her; develops a deep attachment to her family's housekeeper and discovers the wonders of nature as well as the emotional truths hidden beneath the surface of her family's life as foreigners in post-war Japan. Producers are Nidia Santiago and Edwina Liard for Ikki Films, and, Claire La Combe and Henri Magalon for Maybe Movies. Ugo Bienvenu's Arco, which is produced by Natalie Portman, who features in the voice cast, is also drawing buyers. As previously announced out of Cannes, Neon has taken North American rights. The film has also sold to Benelux (Belga), ex-Yugoslavia and Bulgaria (MCF), Hungary (Mozinet), Czech Republic (Bionaut), Middle East and Turkey (The Plot Pictures), Japan (Comstock), South Korea (Pan Cinema) and China (Road Pictures). The movie revolves around 10 year old time-traveling rainbow-child Arco, who lives in the distant future of 2932, but gets trapped in 2075 when his maiden flight does not go to plan. Iris witnesses his fall and comes to his rescue, making it her mission to get him home. Portman is producing with Sophie Mas under their joint Paris and New York banner MountainA with Félix de Givry at Paris-based Remembers. Goodfellas Animation has also racked up sales on the 4K remastered version of cult classic Angel's Egg, by Japanese animation director Mamoru Oshii, who is best known internationally for Ghost in the Shell and Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, and the Patlabor sci-fi franchise. The restored work, which also played in Cannes Classics, has been acquired for France (Eurozoom), Benelux (Paradiso), Germany and UK (Plaion), Spain (Vertigo), Italy (Lucky Red), Scandinavia (NonStop Entertainment), Bulgaria (Pro Films), Czech Republic (Film Europe), Baltics and Ukraine (Ad Astra) and CIS (Russian Report). In the rest of the world, it has sold to Middle East (The Plot Pictures), U.S. (Gkids), Latin America (Sato), Australia/NZ (Umbrella) and Hong Kong (Edko) and Taiwan (Applause). The deals were overseen by Jason Bressand, head of sales at Goodfellas Animation, which recently rebranded from Gebeka International, and is part of Paris-based film company Goodfellas. Best of Deadline 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery 'Stick' Soundtrack: All The Songs You'll Hear In The Apple TV+ Golf Series
