Tim Burton slams AI’s use in Hollywood and is in “quiet revolt” against it

❘ Published: 2023-09-16T17:44:41

Warner Bros. Pictures

Tim Burton says studios “culturally misappropriate” directors’ work while discussing Nicolas Cage’s cameo in The Flash.

The Flash was the most talked about superhero film of the year for all the wrong reasons as the production dealt with a problematic lead and various production related issues.

One of aspect that was discussed ad nauseam was the film’s third act which featured a whole of AI generated cameos from multiple actors both dead and alive.

And now Tim Burton has revealed how one cameo — Nicholas Cage’s Superman — rubbed him the wrong way.

Tim Burton is “over” studios using AI to recreate actors

While chatting to BFI about working on his upcoming film Beetlejuice 2, Burton got candid about seeing Nicholas Cage as Superman in The Flash.

Burton was set to direct the film Superman Lives starring Cage in 1998, but the film was ultimately canceled four years into production due to the development hell it went through including the script being rewritten four times.

However, while Burton has no regrets about working on the project, he explained, “When you work that long on a project and it doesn’t happen, it affects you for the rest of your life. Because you get passionate about things, and each thing is an unknown journey, and it wasn’t there yet. But it’s one of those experiences that never leaves you.”

So, to see a character he would’ve brought to life generated by AI was a bit jarring as Burton recalled, “This is why I think I’m over [AI] with the studio. They can take what you did, Batman or whatever, and culturally misappropriate it, or whatever you want to call it.”

Burton went on to say, “Even though you’re a slave of Disney or Warner Brothers, they can do whatever they want. So in my latter years of life, I’m in quiet revolt against all this.”

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