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American History X Director to Use Robot ‘Actor’

Tony Kaye is making a dramatic casting move for his upcoming feature “2nd Born.” According to Deadline, the “American History X” filmmaker is using an AI robot to play one of the lead roles in his new movie. The idea to cast a real robot came from Kaye and producer Sam Khoze. The filmmaker does not want to cast a human actor in makeup or have to rely on computer-generated effects.

According to Deadline.com, the robot will be trained in different acting methods and techniques prior to filming. Kaye and Khoze are hoping to get the robot SAG recognition. Kaye is most famous for directing Edward Norton in “American History X.” The filmmaker’s other directorial credits include “Black Water Transit” and “Detachment.”

“2nd Born” is the sequel to Ali Atshani’s “1st Born,” an indie film starring Val Kilmer, Tom Berenger, Greg Grunberg, William Baldwin, and Denise Richards. The original film is being released this year by Lotus Entertainment and centers on a married couple whose first pregnancy forces their families to find common ground. A majority of the original cast is expected to return for the sequel.

One fact I found most interesting was including  that Kubrik had intended to use a real robot for the film “2001.” However the technology wasn’t available yet.

You can read more of Zack Sharf’s interesting article if you click read more at indiewire.com