Warner Music Will Use AI To Recreate Édith Piaf’s Voice And Image In New Animated Biopic

Warner Music Group (not a part of Warner Bros. Discovery) has partnered with French production company Seriously Happy and the estate of legendary French singer Édith Piaf to recreate the artist’s voice and image for an animated biopic.

According to the companies involved, this will be “The first animated biopic of an artist using AI.”

Titled Edith, the 90-minute film will unspool across four decades and an ocean, recounting the singer’s time spent in Paris and New York in the 1920s-60s. According to a Warner Music press release: “The film will be narrated by Piaf’s voice.” That’s impressive, considering she died in 1963.

The company explained:

AI technology trained on hundreds of voice clips and images, some of which are over 80 years old, will allow for Piaf’s distinct voice and image to be revived to further enhance the authenticity and emotional impact of her story. Recordings from her original songs will be used, including iconic hits such as “La Vie en rose” and “Non, je ne regrette rien.

Warner Music has already produced a proof of concept and will team up with an unnamed studio to develop the feature.

Julie Veille and Gilles Marliac wrote the Edith screenplay. Warner Music Entertainment President Charlie Cohen is working with the duo “to bring the script and technology to life through the full-length feature.”

Said Veille:

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.

Catherine Glavas and Christie Laume, executors of Piaf’s Estate, said:

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.

There is no news yet on when or how the film will be distributed.