Would you watch a foreign film dubbed with AI to sound like the original actors?

The Witch Game
(Image credit: Jinga Films)

An Argentine horror-fantasy film called The Witch Game is coming to theaters in the U.S. and UK, but the Spanish-language movie doesn't rely on subtitles or English speakers to voice the performances. Instead, AI tools will recreate the original actors' voices and have them speak English. It's a controversial move as it is an actual instance of the frequent warnings about AI taking people's jobs.

The Witch Game tells the story of a woman who gets a VR headset for her 18th birthday, which is capable of sending her to an eerie magical school in another world. Directly inspired by Harry Potter, The Witch Game is directed by rising horror star Fabian Forte.

The performers speak in Spanish for the film, which usually means for non-Spanish-speaking audiences, subtitles or voice actors hired to dub the movie. Instead, the English dialogue sounds like the original actors, dubbed into English using AI. The technology translates and synchronizes the characters' voices to mimic the original tone and emotion of the speech. On the one hand, it's a way to preserve the original performance. It's also cheaper, which makes global distribution of independent films more feasible.

And there's certainly demand for this kind of technology. Companies like Papercup, DeepDub, DubFormer, D-ID ElevenLabs, and other companies have all pioneered their own version of the same translate and re-dub tools. Most are still in early rollout or are aimed more at marketing and individually made videos. But there's a growing interest in what AI voices can do for films. That's one reason the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) went on strike recently and required certain guarantees from production companies before agreeing to a new contract.

AI dubbing

Voice actors understandably have been outspoken critics of AI dubbing. It removes opportunities for professionals who know how to evoke the right emotion and match the cadence of dialogue in other languages, even if they don't sound exactly like the original performers. That can be a good thing since AI can't do subtext, or play with complexities, let alone be spontaneous with adjusting line readings.

There are also questions of consent and compensation when using AI. Do the original actors get the right to refuse an AI voice clone? Do they get paid for each additional language their voice clone performs?

Some performers with real power in Hollywood have already taken a stand. Robert Downey Jr. promised litigation from beyond the grave should a studio deploy an AI clone of his voice or appearance. California has passed a law prohibiting the unauthorized use of AI clones, but who knows how that will impact cinema globally. On the other hand, James Earl Jones agreed to let Disney use his voice for future Darth Vader projects before his recent passing. His contract details how and when his AI voice clone may be used, but the template is there.

These questions may not apply to The Witch Game, as it is a relatively niche film made with a non-Hollywood budget looking for wider reach. However, should it prove to be a success, it's easy to imagine other indie filmmakers around the world making a similar decision.

You might also like

Eric Hal Schwartz
Contributor

Eric Hal Schwartz is a freelance writer for TechRadar with more than 15 years of experience covering the intersection of the world and technology. For the last five years, he served as head writer for Voicebot.ai and was on the leading edge of reporting on generative AI and large language models. He's since become an expert on the products of generative AI models, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, Google Gemini, and every other synthetic media tool. His experience runs the gamut of media, including print, digital, broadcast, and live events. Now, he's continuing to tell the stories people want and need to hear about the rapidly evolving AI space and its impact on their lives. Eric is based in New York City.

Read more
A TV in a living room with the language settings displayed
Prime Video is testing AI dubbing to make movies and shows more accessible – and might avoid the backlash that hit Netflix
Laszlo and Erzsebet looking at some architectural designs in The Brutalist
Netflix caught up in AI Oscars controversy alongside The Brutalist as Emilia Pérez criticized for using voice enhancement tech
Adrien Brody in The Brutalist
Oscars frontrunner The Brutalist uses generative AI, and it might cost it the Best Picture prize
Netflix AI Voice Controversy
Gabby Petito murder documentary sparks viewer backlash after it uses fake AI voiceover
VLC AI Subtitles
AI will start subtitling your videos thanks to VLC
The Russo brothers posing for a photograph and Herman carrying a Volkswagen camper van in The Electric State
'We're optimists': AI enthusiasts Joe and Anthony Russo defend its use in movies and TV shows, but admit there are 'very real dangers' around its application
Latest in Artificial Intelligence
A super close up image of the Google Gemini app in the Play Store
It's official: Google Assistant will be retired for phones this year, with Gemini taking over
Super Mario Odyssey
ChatGPT is the ultimate gaming tool - here's 4 ways you can use AI to help with your next playthrough
Apple CEO Tim Cook delivers remarks before the start of an Apple event at Apple headquarters on September 09, 2024 in Cupertino, California. Apple held an event to showcase the new iPhone 16, Airpods and Apple Watch models. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
The big Siri Apple Intelligence delay proves that maybe we really don't know Apple at all
AI writer
Coding AI tells developer to write it himself
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max REVIEW
Apple Intelligence is a fever dream that I bet Apple wishes we could all forget about
DeepSeek on an iPhone
OpenAI calls on US government to ban DeepSeek, calling it ‘state-subsidized’ and ‘state-controlled’
Latest in News
A super close up image of the Google Gemini app in the Play Store
It's official: Google Assistant will be retired for phones this year, with Gemini taking over
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #1147)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #378)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, March 16 (game #644)
Three iPhone 16 handsets on show
Apple could launch an iPhone 17 Ultra this year – but we've heard these rumors before
Super Mario Odyssey
ChatGPT is the ultimate gaming tool - here's 4 ways you can use AI to help with your next playthrough