By Islam El-Sakka
Fremantle, producer of the defunct Australian soap opera Neighbours, has partnered with US-based RoseBerry Media to create AI-assisted micro-drama episodes for mobile viewers, using decades of footage with an initial focus on Margot Robbie's character Donna Freedman.
The project aims to re-edit old episodes into short vertical videos, but former actors and crew say they have not consented to their images, voices, or work being repurposed.
Actors and crew raise concerns
Matt Werkmeister, who played Zeke Kinski from 2005, said he was not approached and questioned consent for using his image and voice. Sam Clark, who played Ringo Brown, said he only learned of the project from a friend and is unsure of his rights under contracts signed two decades ago.
Sound recordist Bruce Findlay, who worked on the show from its first episode, compared the AI re-edit to "cutting up a Picasso and rebuilding it," saying it belittles the creative process.
Union discussions and residuals
The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance confirmed talks with Fremantle. Acting CEO Adam Portelli said workers should be consulted before their likeness or expertise is used in ways they could not have envisioned. Residuals will be paid to actors and writers, but not to crew.
Company responses
Fremantle and RoseBerry Media said the AI technology scans episodes to map character arcs and identify strong material, using only original broadcast footage, dialogue, and performances. A Fremantle spokesman said no new scenes or synthetic voices are generated, and a human editor reviews every stage. RoseBerry Media head Guy Hameiri called it the first use of their in-house AI tool to create "premium vertical television" from over 9,300 episodes. Fremantle's Jens Richter described it as an exciting example of unlocking new value from their catalogue.
