PARIS, France (CelebrityAccess) — Warner Music announced a new partnership with the estate of Edith Piaf to use AI technology to recreate the voice and likeness of the legendary French singer.
Warner Music Group and their production company partner, Seriously Happy, will leverage the technology to develop what they bill as the first animated biopic of an artist, recounting the story of Piaff overcoming challenges to become one of France’s most iconic artists.
The AI system trained on hundreds of voice clips and images of Piaf, which will allow for her distinctive voice and image to be revived and enhanced for future generations. Recordings from her original songs will be used, including iconic hits such as “La Vie en rose” and “Non, je ne regrette rien”.
The 90-minute biopic is based on an original idea from Julie Veille and has been written by Veille and Gilles Marliac and takes place in Paris and New York from the 1920s to 1960s. The film will be narrated by A.I. using Piaf’s distinctive voice and will reveal aspects of her life that were previously unknown, according to WMG.
“It has been the greatest privilege to work alongside Edith’s Estate to help bring her story into the 21st century. 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,” stated Julie Veille.
“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,” added Catherine Glavas and Christie Laume, Executors of Edith Piaf’s Estate.
