Netflix World War II documentary brings Churchill back to life with risky move

In the new four-part docuseries Churchill at War on Netflix, the former British PM looks as triumphant as he did while alive, thanks to the magic of the latest AI technology.

The documentary producer Imagine Entertainment brought Churchill to life by taking hundreds of speeches that had only been available on paper and giving them new life through a series of recordings.

They also colourised photos and videos of the Prime Minister, which creates a vibrancy to understanding Churchill during the time when the Prime Minister protected his country from Nazi Germany.

Justin Wilkes, president of Imagine, shared with The Ankler: “What we started to dabble with is could we essentially have Churchill narrate his own story?

"Could we actually put Churchill in the first person to take us through as the audience and get that insight as to what he was thinking every step of the way?"

Documentary filmmaking and unscripted content have emerged as key areas where artificial intelligence revolutionises storytelling.

Integrating AI into this field presents both opportunities and challenges in an age characterised by the proliferation of deepfakes and inexpensive AV manipulations designed to recontextualise existing footage.

AI can sometimes lead to ethical dilemmas and public controversies as audiences grapple with questions of authenticity and trust.

In this context, Churchill at War distinguishes itself by uniquely employing AI. Unlike other applications that aim to replicate reality or cut corners in filmmaking, this documentary harnesses AI to enrich and enhance the narrative quality of the presented stories.

The series features actor Christian McKay playing legendary wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill in reconstruced scenes. These moments are intercut with actual footage and images alongside clips of people discussing his role during the conflict.

However within hours of the four part series becoming available many viewers had taken to social media to vent about the talking heads involved in the project with some saying they were switching off over them.

Viewers were in particular raging to see David Lammy on their screens, as one said: "I'm watching Churchill at war on Netflix. Lammy makes an appearance and supports Churchill.

"Lammy doesn't know his head from his feet. Has he forgotten what Hitler did to the Jews. The Jews are again fighting for their lives against a different enemy who want the same as Hitler."

Another viewer said: "Puts things into perspective having the spectres of George Bush, Boris Johnson, and David Lammy featured in the Netflix Churchill show. This may prove unwatchable…

"Imagine all the low-paid historians they could’ve hired in place of these charlatans. Netflix is weird," they added.

The series lists Oscar-winning filmmaker Ron Howard as a producer and was made with the cooperation of Churchill's estate.