Disney Almost AI-Deepfaked Dwayne Johnson But Thought Better of It
Disney was reportedly planning to deepfake Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for parts of the live-action remake of Moana but ultimately decided against it over fears of reprisal and copyright concerns.
According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Disney considered using AI to create a digital double of Johnson. The plan involved using Johnson’s cousin, Tanoai Reed, as a body double, with AI company Metaphysic generating a deepfake of Johnson’s face to layer onto Reed’s performance. This would have allowed Johnson to appear in scenes without being physically present.
Though Johnson approved the concept, Disney ultimately dropped the idea over concerns that AI-generated content might limit the studio’s legal ownership of the footage. After 18 months of negotiations with Metaphysic, none of the experimental material will appear in the final film, set to release next summer.
The WSJ notes that this isn’t the only time Disney has walked back plans to incorporate AI. For Tron: Ares, a sequel that explores artificial intelligence in its narrative, Disney considered using generative AI to power an on-screen character that would respond dynamically to its environment. The project, however, was shelved amid fears of negative publicity during ongoing union negotiations.
“Executives internally were told that the company couldn’t risk the bad publicity,” WSJ reports.
These episodes highlight the tension around AI at not just Disney, but the wider industry. “We have been around for 100 years and we intend to be around for the next 100 years. AI will be transformative, but it doesn’t need to be lawless,” says Disney’s Chief Legal Officer Horacio Gutierrez
It is worth noting that Disney, along with Universal, recently launched legal action against the AI image generator Midjourney — perhaps the reason Disney is playing it cautiously.
The WSJ notes that other studios such as Lionsgate and A24 are both experimenting with AI tools, but others avoid even mentioning the technology entirely. At this year’s Academy Awards, The Brutalist is widely thought to have lost the Oscar for Best Picture after the movie’s editor admitted to using AI.
Metaphysic previously worked on Here featuring Tom Hanks and Robin Wright to de-age the couple.
