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“Cobra Kai” season 6 uses AI to resurrect Mr. Miyagi, which was a controversial creative decision due to the fact actor Pat Morita passed away in 2005. It’s especially noticeable when he shows up to help his Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) defeat a group of skeletons and offer one last nugget of wisdom during a dream sequence. Some viewers will view it as a full-circle moment for the pair’s relationship, while others will argue that it’s yet another example of the Uncanny Valley haunting our entertainment.
While speaking to Variety, “Cobra Kai” creators Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg discussed their decision to bring back Miyagi as a digital dream ghost. Hurwitz revealed that fight choreographer Don Lee’s body was used as a stand-in for Morita, and that he was honored to play his part in recreating Miyagi for the show. However, it was Macchio’s idea for Daniel to fight alongside his old mentor one last time.
“Ralph loved the idea of he and Pat sharing screen time together again with the new technologies that we have. We loved the idea of Daniel needing his final lesson from Miyagi. Miyagi comes to him and they fight alongside one another and he gives some final words of wisdom that help Daniel move on.”
While many people believe that AI is butchering movies and TV shows, the “Cobra Kai” creators stand by their decision. However, they claim that tried their best to digitally resurrect Morita in a respectful way.
The Cobra Kai creators questioned their decision to use AI
When it comes to AI-generated resurrections of dead actors, Mr. Miyagi’s cameos in “Cobra Kai” season 6 probably aren’t the worst out there. They at least serve to complete Daniel’s arc and remind viewers of the admirable values his mentor stood for, as opposed to just being there for a nostalgic pop. That said, creating a digital avatar of Pat Morita was an arduous process, with Hayden Schlossberg telling Variety that they almost regretted the decision.
“You see each version evolve, and it gets less disturbing and horrific each time. Those first ones are very dispiriting, and you’re like, ‘Oh my God, did we go down the wrong path here?’ But they assure you that it’s going to be horrible until it’s not, basically. We felt in the back of our minds that these are dream sequences and give us a little bit of leeway in terms of being super exact.”
Schlossberg added that they tried their best with the budget and technology afforded to them, and they hope the audience is happy with the results. Keeping that in mind, just how complicated was it for the show’s creators to bring Miyagi to the screen again?
Mr. Miyagi’s cameo was a combination of human acting and AI
As previously mentioned, Mr. Miyagi’s “Cobra Kai” season 6 moments weren’t entirely computer-generated. The aforementioned fight scene was shot for real, with Don Lee standing in for Pat Morita before a special effects company applied the necessary VFX magic in post-production. What’s more, a voice actor was recruited to deliver Miyagi’s dialogue, but AI was used to ensure that the stand-in sounded just like Morita.
According to Josh Heald, it took at least 50 attempts for them to create an AI Miyagi they were all happy with. Despite using the technology to resurrect the character, though, the “Cobra Kai” co-showrunner doesn’t view it as morally wrong. “At the end of the day, you’re not actually recreating a person,” he told Variety. “We’re paying homage to a hero, and you’re trying to get as close as possible, while the audience knows that obviously he’s not really there.”
Given that “Cobra Kai” season 6 sets up a potential Miyagi spin-off, this might not be the last time we see the character. If that project comes to fruition, however, it’s highly probable that it will focus on a younger version of the legendary karate sensei, which shouldn’t require any controversial and divisive AI moments.
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