In a surprising twist at the intersection of AI creativity and Hollywood nostalgia, VerseAI—a startup backed by Amazon’s Alexa Fund and venture firm Andreessen Horowitz—has sparked debate with its latest project: original “fan fiction” content starring the late legendary filmmaker and actor Orson Welles. The initiative, which uses advanced generative AI to replicate Welles’ voice, mannerisms, and creative style in new short films and audio dramas, raises provocative questions about AI’s role in reviving deceased artists, the boundaries of creative ownership, and what “authenticity” means in an era of synthetic media.

VerseAI’s Welles-focused content launched quietly in late August 2025, with two releases: a 12-minute black-and-white short film titled The Last Broadcast, which imagines Welles hosting a 1980s-style talk show interviewing fictional rising directors, and a 30-minute audio drama, Welles’ Lost Script, based on an unfinished screenplay fragment the actor left behind at his death in 1985. Both pieces use AI trained on hundreds of hours of Welles’ films (including Citizen Kane and The Third Man), interviews, and public speeches to recreate his distinctive baritone voice, dramatic delivery, and even his on-screen presence—via a digital avatar that mirrors his later-life appearance.

The “Why” Behind the Project: Nostalgia, Access, and AI Testing

In an exclusive interview, VerseAI CEO Maya Patel explained the startup’s motivation. “Orson Welles is a towering figure in storytelling—but for most people under 40, he’s known only as a historical name, not someone whose work feels ‘alive’ today,” Patel said. “Our goal isn’t to replace Welles or claim this is ‘authentic’ in the traditional sense. It’s to introduce his genius to a new generation by letting them experience content that feels true to his spirit—while also pushing the limits of our AI’s ability to capture human creativity and nuance.”

The project also serves a practical purpose for VerseAI: testing its proprietary “Creative Legacy AI” platform, which is designed to help studios, estates, and creators license or “extend” the work of artists (living or deceased) in ethical, transparent ways. Amazon’s backing hints at broader ambitions—industry insiders speculate the tech could eventually be integrated into Alexa, letting users interact with AI versions of historical figures or create personalized content in their styles—but Patel emphasized the Welles project is first and foremost an experiment in “respectful innovation.”

To develop the AI model, VerseAI partnered with the Orson Welles Estate, which holds the rights to the actor’s likeness and unpublished work. Michael Welles, the filmmaker’s grandson and estate executor, said the collaboration was rooted in a shared vision of honoring Welles’ love for experimentation. “My grandfather was always obsessed with new technology—he pioneered radio drama with The War of the Worlds and pushed the boundaries of film editing,” Michael Welles said. “This AI project isn’t about ‘bringing him back’—it’s about continuing his tradition of playing with storytelling formats. And crucially, every piece we release is clearly labeled as AI-generated, with the estate’s approval prominently displayed.”

The Debate: Creativity vs. Exploitation

Despite the estate’s support, VerseAI’s project has drawn criticism from two fronts: artists wary of AI eroding human creativity, and cultural preservationists concerned about diluting Welles’ legacy.

• Artists’ Concerns: The Writers Guild of America (WGA), which fought for AI protections in its 2023 strike, issued a statement calling the project “a cautionary example of how AI can be used to exploit artists’ legacies for profit.” “Orson Welles spent decades fighting for creative control over his work,” the WGA said. “Reducing his unique voice to an algorithm—even with estate approval—risks turning one of cinema’s greatest visionaries into a novelty act.”
• Preservationist Worries: Film historians, meanwhile, argue that AI-generated “fan fiction” blurs the line between Welles’ original work and synthetic content. “Welles’ unfinished projects, like The Other Side of the Wind, were finally released in 2018 after years of careful restoration—because his vision mattered,” said Dr. Eliza Hart, a film studies professor at UCLA. “AI-generated content doesn’t carry that vision; it’s a simulation. For young audiences, distinguishing between the real Welles and the AI version could become impossible.”

VerseAI has pushed back on these critiques, pointing to its transparency measures: all content includes a 10-second pre-roll explaining the AI process, and the startup donates 15% of revenue from the Welles project to film preservation nonprofits. Patel also noted that the AI doesn’t “invent” new creative choices—it extrapolates from Welles’ existing work. “Our model can’t come up with a story Welles wouldn’t have told,” she said. “It’s limited by his own themes, style, and interests. This is fan fiction, yes—but it’s fan fiction grounded in deep respect for the artist.”

What’s Next for AI and “Legacy Creators”?

VerseAI’s Welles project is part of a growing trend: AI startups are increasingly partnering with estates to “revive” deceased celebrities for content, ads, or interactive experiences. In 2024, a different firm used AI to create a posthumous duet between Elvis Presley and Taylor Swift; earlier this year, a gaming company launched an AI-powered Frank Sinatra avatar for a music-themed video game.

For Amazon, the investment in VerseAI signals interest in more than just Alexa integration. The tech giant’s Prime Video division could use the “Creative Legacy AI” to develop original content tied to classic IP, or to enhance behind-the-scenes features for its library of older films.

As for the Welles project, VerseAI plans to release three more audio dramas by the end of 2025, with a focus on stories the filmmaker once considered but never completed. The estate, meanwhile, hopes the content will drive new audiences to Welles’ original work. “If a teenager watches The Last Broadcast and then seeks out Citizen Kane, we’ve done our job,” Michael Welles said.

The debate over AI and legacy artists is far from settled. But VerseAI’s project has already succeeded in one key way: it’s sparking a conversation about how to honor the past while embracing the future of creativity. For better or worse, the line between “real” and “AI-generated” in art is blurring—and Orson Welles, a pioneer of new media in his time, is now at the center of that shift.