Nicolas Cage is speaking out against Amazon after the company that developed “Spider-Noir” for Prime Video reportedly asked him to sign an AI waiver.
“Amazon is a very AI-friendly company, having invested $50 billion in OpenAI,” Cage said during a panel on the Empire Stage at New York Comic Con on Saturday. “I’m not an AI-friendly actor, so it’s like connecting those dots! I’m not a member of their club. I didn’t sign a waiver to allow them to use AI on ‘Spider Noir.’ I’ll probably never work with that studio again, but that’s OK.”
Amazon canceled the superhero series last month after just one season, just days before the first weekend of the Emmy Awards, where it earned 11 nominations (the most of any Prime Video program this year). The cancellation was a shock to many in the industry, given that the series garnered 2.6 billion minutes of viewing in its first six weeks and earned praise from critics and audiences alike.
Cage told the Comic-Con audience he hopes to work with the emerging class of Gen-Z filmmakers, praising “Backrooms” director Ken Parsons, who turned his YouTube fame into a Hollywood career. The horror film overtook “Marty Supreme” as the highest-grossing release in A24’s history.
“I get to meet these young directors who are Gen Z, and they’re doing it in their own way, whether it’s through YouTube culture or whatever,” Cage said. “They’re doing it from scratch and hands-on. I want to be involved with that.”
Cage also expressed interest in doing more television after starring in “Spider-Noir”, which marked his first major role in a TV series. He then broke the news that his next project would be a season of “True Detective”.
Cage quipped, “My agent is out there listening somewhere.” “It’s okay that I’m the first one to announce it, okay?”