Filmmaker Peter Jackson calls AI a ‘special effect’, warns it will destroy the world
Director Peter Jackson said at Cannes that he sees AI in film as just another special effect but warned that it could destroy the world.
lord of the rings‘ Director Peter Jackson said he does not “dislike” the use of AI in films, even commenting that it is “going to destroy the world.” Speaking at a Cannes Film Festival Masterclass a day after receiving the honorary Palme d’Or, Jackson said he sees AI as just another filmmaking tool in cinema.
Additionally, Jackson said that the current debate over AI in Hollywood has had an impact on the way motion-capture performances are viewed, arguing that it has harmed the chances of actors like Andy Serkis receiving awards recognition for roles such as Gollum. lord of the rings Movies.
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“I mean, to me, it’s just a special effect,” Jackson said. “It’s no different than other special effects.” However, he also said that it is “absolutely important” to protect the rights of actors from having their likenesses taken and used in films without their permission.
“If you’re making an AI duplicate of someone, like Indiana Jones or someone else, as long as you’ve got a license from the person you’re mirroring, I don’t see any problem,” Jackson said. “This is what happens when people’s likenesses are stolen and appropriated.”
Jackson said broader concerns over AI have also influenced the way generated or motion-captured characters are considered during awards season. He said, “In the current environment, everyone is very concerned about AI… I don’t think a Gollum-type character or a generated character has any hope of winning any awards.”
He said it was “a little unfair”, especially in Serkis’s case. “Which is a little unfair, especially in the Andy Serkis case where it’s not an AI-generated performance, it’s 100% human-generated performance,” Jackson said.
Jackson’s comments at Cannes brought together his support for AI as a filmmaking influence, his warning over the misuse of actors’ likenesses, and his view that the current debate has unfairly harmed recognition for motion-capture performances like Serkis’s Gollum.
Recently, actor Jamie Dornan was recast as Aragorn, also known as Strider. The character was previously played by Viggo Mortensen lord of the rings Trilogy. Dornan’s casting revealed cinemacon During Warner Bros.’ panel with the film set to explore a new story within Middle-earth.
Along with Dornan’s casting and Serkis’ return as Sméagol, Warner Bros. also revealed that Ian McKellen will return as Gandalf, while Kate Winslet will play Marigol, Leo Woodall will play Halvard, Lee Pace will play Thranduil, and Elijah Wood will return as Frodo.
Whereas The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum Originally slated to debut in 2026, the film’s release date has now been pushed to December 17, 2027.