Overview

• Particle6/Xicoia says multiple talent agencies are in talks to represent Tilly Norwood, with a possible announcement in the coming months as stated at the Zurich Summit.
• Emily Blunt called the AI debut “terrifying” in a Variety interview and urged agencies not to sign virtual performers.
• Actors including Melissa Barrera urged boycotts of agents who take on AI talent, while Mara Wilson questioned the reported use of composite faces without consent and Kiersey Clemons pressed for transparency on the agencies involved.
• Creator Eline Van der Velden defended Tilly in an Instagram post as a “piece of art” and a creative tool, saying studios are quietly exploring AI to cut production costs.
• The backlash revives concerns central to the 2023 Hollywood strikes over digital likeness rights, job displacement, and the ethics of photoreal AI characters.