An overhyped technology with dubious use cases deserves another, so it’s only fair that the first big AI-generated movie focuses on Bitcoin. An upcoming thriller called Bitcoin: kill Satoshi, Directed by Doug Liman Bourne Identity and Edge of Tomorrow fame, and starring Gal Gadot, Pete Davidson and Casey Affleck, is, according to The Wrapwhich will be the first “studio quality” feature film to prominently feature AI-generated wall-to-wall imagery in its production.
According to the report, the film is being produced independently by the heads of visual effects studio Acme AI & FX. The company reportedly built a completely custom soundstage that was used to shoot the film over 20 days. The room consisted of blank walls and simple lights, as the actual sets and lighting will be generated using artificial intelligence tools during post-production.
According to the filmmakers, going with AI reduced production costs from $300 million to around $70 million, which begs the question: How the hell would this movie cost $300 million? Are there a lot of chase scenes and stunts in a movie about people coding? Isn’t this just a movie of people talking in rooms?
This is where Hollywood math comes in. Producer Ryan Kavanaugh told The Wrap that the script “has about 200 different locations, from Antarctica to Antigua to Las Vegas, which is obviously unproducable.” The $300 million figure, it seems, comes from the budget for filming on location each time. “We realized we could reduce the cost by using some of the artificial intelligence tools that exist,” Kavanaugh explained.
But producers could also have reduced the cost by simply no filming on location. It’s a movie; you are allowed to lie. they shot escape from new york in St. Louis; nobody cares.
Despite the use of AI for post-production, there is a lot of human work in the film, a fact that the producers would really like you to know. According to The Wrap, the filming process employed 107 cast members, 100 crew members, 54 non-film crews, and the planned 30-week post-production sessions will require 55 “AI artists.” Focusing on how many people were involved in the project seems like a clear indication that they know there’s a general distaste for AI in art, which means walking the very fine line of shamelessly promoting the technology they’re benefiting from while also trying very hard to emphasize the human touch throughout.
It also seems pretty clear that the producers want the AI to be the star of the show. While they’ve definitely included some notable names for the project, none are the headliners you’d expect from a film with a theoretical budget of $300 million. Gal Gadot was last seen sinking in live action. snow White remake, Casey Affleck is an extremely talented actor who usually lands supporting roles in bigger budget productions, and Pete Davidson is, well, Pete Davidson. So come get the AI, stay and see if any of these actors even talk about this movie once the press tour is over.
