There was a big todo back in the 1980s in response to classic black and white films being re-issued in colorized versions. Noted filmmakers and film critics came out against the process as a violation of artistic integrity, and there were even lawsuits over it.
Yet many people, having been raised on color films, preferred the colorized versions of older movies. And nowadays colorization is often applied to old documentary footage. In that case, the argument that colorization would violate artistic integrity is weaker.
The way A.I. is progressing, old films may eventually be re-issued with much more radical changes. Many young people find the pace of older movies to be slow, and one can easily imagine A.I. re-edits that impart a more modern pace to classic old movies.
Future generations might very well grow up seeing modernized versions of classic films. When that starts to happen, I wonder whether there will be an outcry from critics and filmmakers.
This past week, I stumbled upon the most recent incarnation of The Twilight Zone (with Jordan Peele as the narrator). I was confused when the commercial break included a promotion of the show itself, including glimpses of color scenes from the very episode I was watching in black-and-white. I later learned they decided to release the episodes both in color and B&W.
I was also amused that, although the dialogue was very current–with references to dating apps, YouTube, and gaslighting–many of the visual elements looked as though they could have been straight out of the 60s, like CRT televisions, old cars and architecture, and retro clothing. It was almost as if it had been a 1960s Twilight Zone episode that had been updated for modern audiences.
Congratulations my friend. It sounds as though you just got a glimpse into the future. 🙂