“Andy Warhol’s greatest work of art is Andy Warhol,” begins the new trailer for Netflix’s upcoming docuseries The Andy Warhol Diaries.
The expansive, six-part documentary produced by Ryan Murphy (Glee, Pose, American Horror Story, and pretty much every other campy comedy-drama on television in the past 10 years) probes deeply into the life of the 20th century icon. It offers a unique look at the artist’s most intimate thoughts and feelings by drawing from his posthumously published diaries. In fact, director Andrew Rossi (The First Monday in May) used artificial intelligence to recreate Warhol’s voice, which is used to read the diary entries.
You can hear the eerie effect in the trailer. “I wasn’t very close to anyone, although I guess I wanted to be,” narrates AI Andy.
The trailer notes that the filmmakers obtained permission from the Andy Warhol Foundation to recreate his voice using AI—an important disclaimer following the controversy surrounding last year’s Anthony Bourdain feature documentary.
Roadrunner director Morgan Neville caught flak for using AI to make it seem as though the late chef and writer Bourdain, who died by suicide in 2018, had read aloud a dark email he wrote to a friend prior to his death. The film did not distinguish between real recordings of Bourdain’s voice and AI-generated narration, nor did it seek the permission of Bourdain’s ex-wife, who tweeted her vehement disapproval.
In The Andy Warhol Diaries, Warhol’s diary entries point to a tragic sense of isolation beneath the prolific pop artist’s career, the rubbing elbows with celebrities, and the late-night partying at Studio 54. Through interviews with Hollywood and art world stars like Julian Schnabel, Rob Lowe, Spike Lee, and John Waters, the trailer highlights Warhol’s inconceivable level of fame and the tremendous impact he had on all areas of pop culture, from art to film to fashion. It also explores the more elusive aspects of his life, such as his sexuality, his drug use, and his relationship with graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
The Andy Warhol Diaries premieres March 9 on Netflix.
