“Stop That Train” director Adam Shankman defended the RuPaul Charles-starring movie after social-media chatter over the weekend accusing the filmmakers of counting on generative AI — calling such claims “patently not true.”
“Every shot in ‘Stop! That! Train!’ was made by human hands!” Shankman wrote in an Instagram post Tuesday. “There are a sum total of ZERO shots conceived by AI in the movie. We employed hundreds of VFX artists who all killed themselves getting this out for release and not one job was taken out of human hands. The movie is a fully human made piece of joy and laughter. Take it in and enjoy it yall! We need the laughter!”
The assertion got here after a number of X posts over the weekend alleged that the movie used generative AI. Within the “Airplane”-esque comedy, RuPaul play President Judy Gagwell as she and a forged of comedians and drag queens (“RuPaul’s Drag Race” alums Ginger Mini, Jujubee and Brooke Lynn Hytes amongst them) attempt to cease a runaway high-speed prepare, the Glamazon Categorical, from crashing right into a fictional pure catastrophe, a “Stormaganza.”
“RuPaul movie apparently confirmed to contain mass amounts of genAI with the top billed VFX company literally being AI-based… secret blessing that shit ain’t playing in the UK,” one commenter on X commented.
“Girlfriend just made a pained sound on FaceTime and when I asked what was wrong they said ‘there’s a ton of AI in the new RuPaul movie,’” learn one other X post.
A few of the feedback referred to the work of Acme AI and FX on the movie, which was reported by the Village Voice. The agency, co-founded by former Relativity Media govt Ryan Kavanaugh, has touted its means to shorten manufacturing schedules and assist cut back budgets by filming on a “gray box” soundstage whereas AI generates the placement imagery, equivalent to on the upcoming Doug Liman movie “Bitcoin.”
A supply acquainted with the manufacturing advised Selection that Acme AI was contracted completely for its visible results work and any AI use was restricted to background workflow processes — and never something that appeared on display screen.
The accusations additionally got here after an April episode of “Drag Race” featured RuPaul “painting” photos of the season’s ultimate 4 contenders that gave the impression to be AI-generated, prompting a wave of social media fury. RuPaul didn’t touch upon the allegations, and “Drag Race” manufacturing firm World of Surprise didn’t reply to a request for remark.
