New artificial intelligence-focused film studios are establishing operations in Hollywood this summer, marking a significant shift in movie production methodology. Promise, a studio backed by Google, venture capitalists, and Disney, has opened near Sony Pictures’ Culver City lot and is producing films using AI technology to create visual elements and digital performers. The studio is currently filming Touch Grass, a horror feature with a low-millions budget, where AI systems generate environments and effects in real time around human actors. Chinese AI model Seedance 2.5, released this month, enables rapid production by instantly superimposing actors onto algorithmically generated backgrounds.
Other established figures are adopting the technology. Ron Howard and his production company Imagine are working with another AI studio called Obsidian on The Code, an animated documentary about Vietnamese prisoners of war, with executives estimating 30% to 40% cost reductions. Netflix disclosed using AI in 300 of its 1,000 titles this year. Brad Pitt has publicly supported the technology as a tool for financing mid-budget films between $40 million and $90 million, while new filmmakers like Kavan Cardoza predict a creative renaissance independent of traditional studio constraints.
However, the trend faces substantial opposition. Director Christopher Nolan has criticized how rapidly the technology is advancing without public acceptance, while filmmaker Guillermo del Toro has voiced concerns. Actors Emily Blunt and others have called AI-generated performers concerning, and the Screen Actors Guild union Sag-Aftra has opposed the development. Democratic congresswoman Laura Friedman, representing Hollywood’s creative workforce, warned last month about potential displacement of tens of thousands of American workers.
Proponents argue the technology democratizes filmmaking and reduces financial barriers. Promise’s chief executive estimated hybrid films using both human actors and AI could cost 20% to 50% less than conventional productions. Industry adviser Joanna Popper noted benefits for independent creators while raising concerns about tech companies potentially consolidating financial gains across the industry. Despite the controversy, AI studio executives predict widespread adoption across major production companies in coming years.
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