The 2023 WGA Writers Strike gave Hollywood workers a glimpse of AI’s doable place in Hollywood. The union argued that performers want safety from their likenesses being utilized by AI expertise with out their consent, and the specter of studios changing screenwriters with the superior expertise to jot down scripts. After James Cameron expressed his change of coronary heart on AI’s place in Hollywood, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos supplies his personal take.
James Cameron’s New Stance on AI in Hollywood
Again in 2023, across the time of the SAG-AFTRA Strikes, James Cameron advised CTV Information that he “warned” us in 1984 about AI being “the largest hazard.” He was referring to his 1984 basic, The Terminator, which was an unnerving film concerning the energy of AI spiraling past human management. However whereas talking with the Boz to the Future podcast this month, he pivoted on why he thinks AI is essential for blockbuster motion pictures:
If we wish to proceed to see the sorts of films that I’ve at all times beloved and that I wish to make and that I’ll go to see — name it Dune, Dune: Two, one thing like that, or one among my movies or large effects-heavy, CG-heavy movies — we’ve obtained to determine how you can minimize the price of that in half.
The Canadian director is well-known for making big-budget motion pictures that critics and audiences love. With James Cameron persevering with to push the boundaries of expertise with every cinematic masterpiece, he positive is aware of a factor or two about how a lot it prices to get the brand new expertise up and operating. It’s clear the Titanic filmmaker has a much less dystopian view of AI and sees it extra as a cheap method to make motion pictures and pace up the visible results course of.
Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos’ View of AI in Hollywood
James Cameron might even see AI as a method to minimize the large budgets of blockbuster motion pictures, however Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos has a unique imaginative and prescient for the brand new expertise. As a substitute of taking a look at AI as a manner to save cash, Sarandos stated in a 2025 Q1 Earnings Convention Name (by way of Looking for Alpha) that he’s extra involved with AI enhancing the storytelling course of:
I learn the article too, what Jim Cameron stated about making motion pictures 50% cheaper. I stay satisfied that there is a fair greater alternative if you can also make motion pictures 10% higher. So, our expertise immediately is utilizing AI instruments to do set references or previs, VFX sequence prep, store planning, every kind of issues immediately that type of make the method higher.
It appears to be like just like the Netflix Co-CEO feels the precedence lies extra in utilizing AI to help within the artistic course of slightly than its use for finances cuts. Primarily based on Ted Sarandos’ claims of how expertise is working synthetic intelligence, AI has been used to offer higher content material within the pre-production stage by way of the planning of units, scenes, and VFX.
Ted Sarandos additionally spoke in his convention name about AI’s potential to interrupt obstacles in superior expertise accessibility. Via synthetic intelligence, VFX apparently might be out there to all kinds of filmmakers in comparison with solely mega-budget movies:
Historically, solely big-budget tasks would have entry to issues like technical — superior visible results corresponding to de-aging. So, immediately you need to use these AI-powered instruments so to allow smaller finances tasks to have entry to large VFX on display.
The Netflix Co-CEO would know all about de-aging expertise. The streamer’s Martin Scorsese flick The Irishman confirmed off its spectacular de-aging expertise to make Robert De Niro look youthful in comparison with utilizing completely different actors to play youthful variations. However, the budgeting for the gangster movie was reportedly actually intense at $159-200 million. Solely main studios would have entry to large technological developments like this. Ted Sarandos believes that with AI, smaller-budget tasks would even have entry to drag off high-end visuals like de-aging results.
The American businessman used the instance of Pedro Páramo (which is streaming in your Netflix subscription) to explain how AI instruments have been used for Rodrigo Prieto’s directorial debut. Ted Sarandos defined the Mexican director was in a position to make use of de-aging expertise for lower than what The Irishman spent on it:
Identical creator utilizing new instruments, new higher instruments to do one thing that will have been not possible to just do 5 years in the past. That is extremely thrilling. So, our focus is easy, discover methods for AI to enhance the member and the creator expertise.
Expertise is quickly rising yr after yr. Ted Sarandos seems to see AI as helpful to subscribers and the creators making the tasks.
James Cameron and Ted Sarandos’ views on AI in Hollywood differ when it comes to budgeting vs. higher storytelling. Nonetheless, they each seem to agree about AI’s potential to reshape the filmmaking course of.