Will the AI generate new scenes or alter actors' faces?

No. A Fremantle spokesman said the micro-drama uses original, previously broadcast footage, dialogue and performances, and does not generate new scenes, alter likenesses or use synthetic voices.

Who will be paid for the re-edited episodes?

Residuals will be paid to actors and writers, but this does not apply to crew.

How many episodes will the AI scan?

RoseBerry Media's Guy Hameiri said the tool will sift through more than 9,300 episodes of Neighbours footage.

Video GenerationAI Safety & AlignmentHacker News3m agoOct 30, 2026, 06:01 JST

Fremantle AI re-edit of Neighbours sparks consent concerns

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3 Key Points

What happened
Fremantle and RoseBerry Media will use AI to scan decades of Neighbours footage and make short vertical micro-drama episodes, starting with Margot Robbie's scenes. Former actor Matt Werkmeister said he was not approached.
Why it matters
Actors and crew say they never consented to their images or work being re-purposed, and their decades-old contracts did not anticipate AI or streaming, leaving their rights uncertain.

WHO IT HITSFormer actors and crew from long-running TV shows face uncertainty over whether old contracts cover AI re-editing of their performances, while unions seek consultation before likenesses are reused.

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Context & Analysis

The project marks the first time RoseBerry Media will use its in-house AI tool on Neighbours footage, according to its head Guy Hameiri, who described the output as "premium vertical television." Fremantle's Jens Richter framed it as an example of technology unlocking new value from the catalogue.

Yet the concerns raised by former cast and crew centre on contracts signed long before AI and streaming existed. Matt Werkmeister, who joined the show in 2005 at 13, said he has not been approached, and Sam Clark said he is still trying to understand the parameters of a contract signed 20 years ago. Sound recordist Bruce Findlay likened the process to "cutting up a Picasso and rebuilding it."

The dispute has moved into labour talks: Fremantle is understood to be in discussions with two unions, and the MEAA's acting CEO Adam Portelli said workers should be consulted before their likeness or expertise is used in ways they could not have envisioned.

FAQ

Will the AI generate new scenes or alter actors' faces?: No. A Fremantle spokesman said the micro-drama uses original, previously broadcast footage, dialogue and performances, and does not generate new scenes, alter likenesses or use synthetic voices.
Who will be paid for the re-edited episodes?: Residuals will be paid to actors and writers, but this does not apply to crew.
How many episodes will the AI scan?: RoseBerry Media's Guy Hameiri said the tool will sift through more than 9,300 episodes of Neighbours footage.

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