At New York Comic Con this past Saturday, Nicolas Cage connected Amazon's massive financial commitment to artificial intelligence with his own reluctance to embrace the technology. The actor revealed his refusal to accept an AI waiver from the studio regarding "Spider-Noir", the Prime Video show that was axed following its first season despite earning 11 Emmy nominations.
Cage made his position clear during remarks on the Empire Stage, drawing a direct line between Amazon's corporate strategy and his personal stance. According to Variety, he stated: "Amazon is a very AI-friendly company, to the tune of $50 billion invested in OpenAI. I am not an AI-friendly actor, so it's like, connect those dots!" He went on to confirm that he declined to append his signature to the agreement that would have permitted the studio to deploy AI technology on the production.
When asked about his future with the studio, Cage suggested a clean break. "I'm probably not going to be working with that studio again, but that's okay," he remarked to the Comic Con audience.
The $50bn figure
Cage's reference to Amazon's investment amount aligns with publicly disclosed information. By late July, Amazon had completed its $50 billion commitment to OpenAI, a transaction the company reported to the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The partnership extends beyond mere financial backing: the two firms collaborate on advertising features within ChatGPT, and OpenAI's agent technology operates on Amazon's cloud infrastructure.
A cancelled show
For Cage, "Spider-Noir" represented a significant milestone as his first leading role in a television series. Prime Video terminated the show on 4 September following a single eight-episode season. The cancellation proved particularly striking given the programme's critical recognition: it accumulated 11 Emmy nominations, more than any other Prime Video series that year.
Viewership metrics suggested the show had found an audience. Nielsen's streaming data recorded 2.6 billion viewing minutes during the initial six-week period. The series emerged from Amazon's partnership with Sony Pictures Television to bring Spider-Man characters to the streaming platform.
Despite his apparent split with Amazon over the AI issue, Cage maintains at least one remaining project with the company. Prime Video plans to release his biographical film about John Madden, titled "Madden".
Next: young directors, and maybe HBO
Looking forward, Cage expressed interest in collaborating with emerging filmmakers from Generation Z who have built their careers on YouTube. He specifically highlighted Kane Parsons, the director of "Backrooms", as an example of the type of creative talent he wants to work with.
The actor also hinted at a possible television venture beyond Amazon. According to Gold Derby, Cage suggested he might participate in a season of HBO's "True Detective". HBO has not yet responded to requests for comment on the matter. The entertainment industry continues to grapple with questions about AI adoption, with reports from last month indicating that major studios are actively recruiting graduates who possess AI expertise.
Source: The Next Web
