Nicolas Cage publicly rejected an AI waiver request for Amazon’s “Spider‑Noir,” a 1930s‑style crime‑thriller series produced by Sony Pictures Television and Amazon MGM Studios, where he played the lead character “The Spider.” He cited Amazon’s $50 billion investment in OpenAI as evidence of the studio’s aggressive AI strategy and declared himself “not an AI‑friendly actor,” signaling he will likely avoid future work with the platform. The dispute underscores broader industry tensions, as SAG‑AFTRA and the Writers Guild recently negotiated contractual safeguards against AI‑driven replacements, while AI‑generated performers such as Tilly Norwood continue to generate buzz. “Spider‑Noir” premiered in May and quickly became Amazon’s flagship streaming property, accumulating 2.6 billion minutes of viewing time in its first six weeks according to Nielsen data and earning 11 Emmy nominations with five wins. Despite the critical acclaim and strong viewership, Amazon canceled the show after a single season, a decision that surprised many observers. Cage also announced plans to join HBO’s “True Detective” series, indicating his intent to remain active in television while resisting AI‑related contractual terms.