AI-Generated Voice of the Late Jimmy Stewart Will be Featured in Bedtime Story App
The artificial disembodied voice of the "It's a Wonderful Story" star Jimmy Stewart will soon send you to rest in Calm's latest bedtime story app. Stewart died in 1997 at the age of 89.
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The meditation and sleep app will bring Stewart's voice back from the grave as part of Calm's "heartwarming new holiday tale" in "It's a Wonderful Sleep Story" via Respeecher.
The AI studio was previously hired to recreate a young Mark Hamill's voice in "The Mandalorian" and brought back the voice of the deceased voice actor Miłogost Reczek in the Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty DLC.
Although it was Stewart's voice being used, an actual living voice actor will be providing the performance. The actor's family and estate gave consent for the use of his voice.
This was not the first a company used AI to bring back a dead actor to perform again, to varying degrees of success and acceptance from the audience.
The likeness of Peter Cushing and Carrie Fisher used for their roles as Grand Moff Tarkin and Princess Leia in the "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" in 2016.
Cushing passed away in 1994, while Fisher more recently in 2016.
Many people have expressed disappointment with the studios for using the likeness of deceased actors with AI, ensuring that their faces will be used as a franchise.
The issue was one of the topics raised in the recently finished actors' strike in Hollywood.
Stewart will be reprising his role as George Bailey from Frank Capra's 1946 film, premiering exclusively on Calm Premium on Dec. 5. Listeners can avail of the Premium subscription for $69.99 a year.
Calm is known for its Sleepy Stories featuring iconic actors as storytellers.
Personalities who have guessed the app include: Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, Harry Styles, Michael Bublé, Matthew McConaughey, LeBron James, Cillian Murphy, and Idris Elba.
