Major Talent Agencies Eye AI Star Tilly Norwood for Contracts
BREAKING: Major talent agencies are gearing up to sign contracts with Tilly Norwood, an AI-generated star created by Eline Van der Velden at her AI talent studio, Xicoia. This groundbreaking development was revealed during a panel at the Zurich Summit and is expected to transform the entertainment landscape.
In a statement, Van der Velden confirmed that an official agency announcement regarding Tilly’s representation is anticipated in the coming months. “When we first launched Tilly, people were like, ‘What’s that?,’ and now we’re going to be announcing which agency is going to be representing her,” she stated, emphasizing the rapid shift in industry perception towards AI actors.
Initially dismissed by studios in early 2025, interest in AI-generated talent has surged. “We were in a lot of boardrooms around February, and everyone was like, ‘No, this is nothing. It’s not going to happen.’ Then, by May, people were like, ‘We need to do something with you guys,’” Van der Velden said.
Tilly Norwood has already made her debut in the comedy sketch AI Commissioner, which she announced on her social media platforms, marking her entry into the entertainment industry. Van der Velden aims for Tilly to become as iconic as Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman. “Audiences care about the story — not whether the star has a pulse. The age of synthetic actors isn’t ‘coming’ — it’s here,” she added.
Industry experts are taking note of the rapid adoption of AI in film and television. Verena Puhm, head of Luma AI’s Studio Dream Lab LA, confirmed that while some studios initially denied using AI, many have been secretly developing projects. “This year, kind of like March, April, people called me and wanted to talk,” she shared.
Puhm indicated that major companies are already working on AI-assisted projects under non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), with public announcements expected early next year. “In the beginning of next year, there’s going to be a lot of announcements,” she revealed.
The implications of AI performers like Tilly Norwood extend beyond just entertainment. As studios increasingly embrace this technology, the traditional landscape of acting is poised for a significant transformation. This trend raises questions about the future of human actors and the evolving nature of storytelling.
Stay tuned for more updates as this story develops. The entertainment industry is on the brink of a revolution, and Tilly Norwood is leading the charge.
