September 10, 2026, 2:50 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
Dubbing for film and television greatly enhances the understanding of stories and is fortunately at a very high level in Germany. However, one detail has been difficult to avoid: the lip movements on screen often do not match the spoken words on the soundtrack.
This is where Amazon Prime wants to step in. Using AI, the streaming service aims to adjust mouth movements to match foreign-language dubbing. Instead of just translating the language on the soundtrack, the image will also better align with the chosen language.
Dubbing should become more natural
Many AI projects in recent years have focused on voices. Conversations were to be automatically translated or even completely new language versions created. Prime is taking a slightly different approach. The actual dubbing remains human work.
Only afterward does the AI intervene and alter the video image. This is intended to give viewers the impression that the actors are actually speaking the translated lines themselves. The technology is meant to remain as invisible as possible, drawing less attention to the translation itself and more to the story.
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Why streaming services are adopting this technology
Localization is becoming increasingly important, especially for international platforms. Successful series are no longer produced only in Hollywood. Productions from Germany, South Korea, Spain, or France are regularly released worldwide.
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As international audiences grow, the question of how content is presented in other languages becomes more important. Automatic subtitles were a first step. AI-driven adjustments to facial and lip movements could now be the next.
German series as a test case
The German Prime Video production “Maxton Hall” is set to be the first to use this technology. It will initially be applied to the English-language version. The revised version of the first two seasons has been available since September 9. The third and final season will also use the technology when it premieres on Prime Video on December 9.
The choice is not coincidental. According to their own statements, it is Prime Video’s most successful international original production to date. The series tells the love story of students Ruby and James at a British elite boarding school and is based on the novels by bestselling author Mona Kasten.
More titles are expected to follow, although Amazon has not yet named specific ones.