‘Maxton Hall’ Uses Amazon AI Technology To Sync Actors’ Lips With Human-Dubbed Audio

Amazon Prime Video series Maxton Hall is the first programming on the streaming platform to feature new AI technology synchronizing actors’ lip movements with human-dubbed audio.

The feature went live Wednesday on the first two seasons of the series, and will be used for its third season when it premieres later this year. The German YA series was quickly renewed for a second season in 2024 after it smashed viewership records for Prime Video. Season 3’s release date on December 9 was confirmed last week.

“Have you ever watched a dubbed movie only to notice the actors’ mouths continuing to move after the dialogue has ended, taking you completely out of the story?” Amazon asked in a blog post. “Prime Video is addressing this issue with a feature designed to create a more enjoyable and accessible viewing experience for our global customers.”

Maxton Hall, a German series based on the 2018 novel Save Me by Mona Kasten, is Prime’s most-watched international original series ever.

The lip-syncing method will also be used on other series down the line, the company said. Raf Soltanovich, VP of technology at Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, said the goal is to create “a more seamless and immersive way for customers to enjoy global content” while also helping creators reach broader audiences. His statement went on to stress that “creative oversight” will help “ensure the integrity of their artistic vision is preserved.”

Netflix has led the charge among streamers in terms of cross-pollinating programming across global territories, establishing a template years ago with shows like Squid Game, Money Heist and many others. Amazon, Disney and other players have worked to ramp up their non-U.S. offerings in an effort to close the gap.

Amazon does have the advantage of its war-chest of tech resources. Last year, the company started testing new AI tools that dub movies into English and Latin American Spanish.