Brad Pitt backs AI as a tool to help more 'mid-budget films' get made
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Brad Pitt has shared his views on the growing role of artificial intelligence in Hollywood, acknowledging its potential to help more mid-budget films get made while raising concerns about the technology’s ability to replicate actors' performances.
His comments come as the use of AI continues to spark debate in Hollywood over its impact on the industry, with some members of the fraternity raising concerns while others see potential in the technology.
Brad Pitt weighs AI’s potential in filmmaking
Pitt is keeping an open mind about AI in movies, believing the technology could help more mid-budget films get made. In a new Esquire cover story, he discussed AI-generated visual effects, particularly how the technology could reduce costs for projects with budgets between $40 million and $90 million.
“There’s a lot of pushback against AI, but AI is going to be the very thing that, if used as a tool, is going to help these mid-budget films, $40 to $90 million-budgeted films, get made,” Pitt said. However, he has more complicated feelings about AI being used to replace actors.
Asked whether AI could replicate one of his performances, he explained that the result would depend on who was creating it and directing the emotions being portrayed. While AI could potentially recreate his performance, Pitt noted that the final product might not reflect the choices and discoveries he made himself.
Pitt described AI in movies as “gonna be a very interesting experiment” and also discussed body scanning, which is often used for stunt work, battle scenes and de-aging. He revealed that he has been scanned for 20 years and has always included provisions in his contracts requiring ownership of the scans and their destruction, describing himself as a “paranoid Ozark boy.”
He also recalled hearing an AI-generated song that was “pretty damn good,” though he felt its repetitive nature meant it could not replace hearing a woman’s or person’s voice. His upcoming projects include ‘Heart of the Beast,’ about a special forces soldier who survives a plane crash with his dog, followed by ‘The Adventures of Cliff Booth,’ in which he reprises his Oscar-winning role from ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.’
George Lucas and Sandra Bullock on Hollywood’s AI future
George Lucas has also expressed a positive view of AI in filmmaking while criticizing Hollywood’s reliance on focus groups and test screenings. The ‘Star Wars’ creator argued that audiences do not always know what they want and that studios can end up allowing fans to dictate movies instead of filmmakers.
Lucas believes movies should be made by people who know how to make them, have stories to tell and are passionate about their work. “Art is an emotional medium,” he added, arguing that stories should move audiences emotionally.
On AI, Lucas compared resistance to the technology with preferring horses and buggies over cars, calling it progress and the future. He acknowledged its risks but noted that AI could also help identify fake content and determine where it came from, arguing that people should remain responsible for what they say and do.
Sandra Bullock also addressed AI alongside Warner Bros. Pictures co-chair and CEO Pam Abdy at the CNBC Changemakers Summit. Discussing AI-generated fan trailers for ‘Practical Magic 2,’ Abdy viewed them as evidence of audience interest in the movie.
Bullock joked about seeing her image recreated through AI before taking a more serious stance. She argued that Hollywood needs to observe, understand and “lean into” AI while using it constructively and creatively. At the same time, she stressed the need for caution because some people could use the technology for harmful purposes, while maintaining that AI has a place in Hollywood.
