studio

After the fake video of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt fighting went viral, a surge of AI-generated content from Seedance 2.0 flooded the internet.

Some fans were using the new AI video generator, backed by ByteDance, to refashion the finales for shows like “Game of Thrones” and “Stranger Things.” Others created battle scenes between iconic superheroes like Wolverine and Superman or between a Transformer and Godzilla.

As these Seedance videos amassed millions of views on social media, industry guilds like SAG-AFTRA and the Motion Picture Assn. have criticized the AI platform that was launched last week. Now, many major Hollywood studios are threatening to take legal action against ByteDance, the same Chinese parent that oversees TikTok.

Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount and Disney have all sent individual cease and desist letters, detailing the unauthorized reproduction of each of the studios’ copyrighted intellectual property.

Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery were the latest studios to send cease and desists letter to ByteDance on Tuesday.

Netflix calls Seedance “a high-speed privacy engine” and says that they “will not stand by and watch ByteDance treat our valued IP as free, public domain clip art,” as stated in the letter. The streamer also cites the illegal use of sets derived from “Squid Game,” costumes from “Bridgerton” and character design from “KPop Demon Hunters.”

Warner Bros. Discovery looks to repurposed content, including characters from the “Harry Potter” and “Lord of the Rings” franchises, as well as superheroes like Batman, as “ blatant infringement” by ByteDance. The studio argues that it’s clear that their AI technology was trained on Warner Bros. copyrighted material “without authorization.”

“But the users are not the ones at the root cause of the infringement; they are merely building on the foundation of infringement already laid by ByteDance as Seedance comes pre-loaded with Warner Bros. Discovery’s copyrighted characters,” wrote the studios’ legal executive vice president Wayne Smith. “That was a deliberate design choice by ByteDance.”

Disney and Paramount were the first of the studios to call out ByteDance, sending their letters last Friday and Saturday. Disney accuses ByteDance of loading its Seedance service “with a pirated library of Disney’s copyrighted characters from Star Wars, Marvel, and other Disney franchises.”

“Over Disney’s well-publicized objections, ByteDance is hijacking Disney’s characters by reproducing, distributing, and creating derivative works featuring those characters. ByteDance’s virtual smash-and-grab of Disney’s IP is willful, pervasive, and totally unacceptable,” Disney’s attorney David Singer wrote, per Axios.

Paramount’s cease and desist letter was reviewed by The Times and makes similar assertions about ByteDance’s unapproved use of copyrighted material.

ByteDance has since pledged to implement more safeguards to protect copyrighted material in response to these letters.

“ByteDance respects intellectual property rights and we have heard the concerns regarding Seedance 2.0,” a company spokesperson said in a statement shared with CNBC. “We are taking steps to strengthen current safeguards as we work to prevent the unauthorized use of intellectual property and likeness by users.”

But with or without the safeguards, Dan Purcell, chief executive of Midnight Labs, an AI-powered company that specializes in IP protection for high-value entertainment, said these letters might be a bit of a delayed reaction from the studios.

“Once synthetic content is generated, it spreads instantly and at a massive scale. By the time lawyers engage, the damage is done,” said Purcell in a statement. “The only path forward is strict licensing, real-time enforcement, and consequences that actually hurt. Reactive letters won’t fix this. The industry needs to move at the speed of AI — not the speed of litigation.”

WHAT do giants typically wear?

Patchy trousers that would smother three average-sized humans and a coat with pockets large enough to conceal a massive umbrella and a sloppy birthday cake.

A giant would also need a colossal chair – at least that’s what the costume and set designers created for the Harry Potter movies.

Hagrid’s huge seat and other amazing memorabilia is just part of the latest instalment at Warner Bros Studio Tour London, near Watford, which gives fans an even deeper look behind the scenes of the movies.

Unlike the main tour, where guests just wander freely around the attraction, Mastering The Magic: Costume Creation is a 45-minute workshop that allows muggles to even create their own Potter-themed outfit.

“Films are short and can’t go into as much detail as books can, so costumes are a way of giving viewers a lot of information about a character in just 30 seconds,” our workshop leader tells us.

WAIL OF A TIME

I drove Irish Route 66 with deserted golden beaches and pirate-like islands

TEMPTED?

Tiny ‘Bali of Europe’ town with stunning beaches, €3 cocktails and £20 flights

My small group learns that a school-aged Harry, for example, is first seen by viewers in his battered shirt and threadbare trousers, which conveys how poorly treated he is by his aunt and uncle.

Chances are, you might have once owned the same shirt as Harry – although likely less scuffed – as much of his muggle gear was picked up from high street brands like Gap and Next.

The fictional Malfoy family, on the other hand, have money. So only the plushest and chicest materials were used here.

The thought that goes into every outfit is staggering. You probably wouldn’t have noticed that Voldemort’s emerald-coloured robes become paler and more faded throughout the final film. This is to indicate his loss of power.

And next time you’re watching The Order Of The Phoenix, keep your eyes peeled for Professor Umbridge’s cat broach.

It was picked up for around £1 by the costume designers from a charity shop. Today, it is insured for £1,000 . . . or thereabouts.

A giant would also need a colossal chair – at least that’s what the costume and set designers created for the Harry Potter movies

Don’t worry, I’m not giving away any proper spoilers. You’ll uncover dozens more secrets in these short sessions.

After learning tricks of the trade, we’re talked through the lengthy process of costume creation, from initial concept, taken from scripts, through to mood boards with fabric samples and right down to the final sketches.

Then it’s time to get stuck in – sketching our own designs and pinning scraps of fabric left over from the costumes featured in the actual films.

I choose a ruby red and black patch of fur, pairing it with a gold satin – more Malfoy territory than Potter.

And for a brief moment, I’ve played my part as a Harry Potter costume designer.

Time to celebrate with a butter beer? I’m in the right place for that.

Marc Anthony and Nadia Ferreira have plans to grow their family, announcing on Wednesday that a little one is on the way.

The couple revealed in a joint Instagram post that their son “Marquito is going to be a big brother.” They posted a photo of their hands, along with their son’s hand, cradling Ferreira‘s baby bump. The pair also wrote in their caption in Spanish that their anniversary is a gift and God is great.

Grammy-winning “Vivir mi Vida” singer Anthony, 57, married model and former Miss Universe Paraguay and 2021 Miss Universe runner-up Ferreira, 26,in January 2023 in a star-studded ceremony in Miami. David Beckham served as best man and Salma Hayek, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Luis Fonsi were on the guest list.

The child will be Anthony’s eighth. The musician (real name Marco Antonio Muñiz) shares two adult children with ex-girlfriend Debbie Rosado, and two grown children from his marriage to former Miss Universe Dayanara Torres. He also shares twin teenagers with ex-wife Jennifer Lopez.

As Ferreira revealed news of her pregnancy, Anthony teased an upcoming collaboration with singer Nathy Peluso. The pair of Grammy winners posted a clip of themselves singing and dancing in a studio and urged followers to pre-save their latest song “Como En El Idilio.”

Anthony teased additional music on Tuesday. He posted a black-and-white video of himself and musicians performing in a studio. The clip ended simply with white text reading: “Feb 06.”

What seems to be Anthony’s newest music foray will drop a week before he launches his residency at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas. His Vegas My Way circuit of 10 live performances begins Feb. 13. Additional dates and information can be found on the residency’s website.