While some Hollywood studios are trying to reduce costs by using Generated Artificial Intelligence (GENAI) to help create movies and series, copyright, privacy and PR hurdles have already made the path to adoption difficult.
A few weeks ago, US streaming giant Netflix released “The Eternaut,” featuring special effects created by Genai. Disney also experimented with the technology, using AI deepfake to feature wrestler-turned-wrestler-turned-Dwayne Johnson in a live-action Moana remake, and added a double face to face in post-production.
ai has been part of filmmaking for a long time, but genai – Typically, it requires a large amount of training data to generate high quality content, and the technology behind tools such as Midjourney, Openai's Dall-E, Sora – Generate images, voices and designs on demand. This creates new possibilities for studios and streaming platforms facing pressure from a decline in subscriptions and growing competition with user-generated content platforms such as YouTube and Tiktok.
The barriers for newcomers will also be reduced. Supported by Amazon, Showrunner launched this month, now allows individuals to generate an entire TV show from their laptops – A sign of how genai democratizes filmmaking, even if the results are not yet at Hollywood quality.
Legal and Labor Pushback
For now, attempts to incorporate genai into film production have encountered obstacles to copyright and labor.
Disney's plans for a live-action Moana remake have been put on hold in question about anyone who owns copyright to AI. After 18 months of negotiations with the AI company's metaphysics, Disney opposed the use of deepfake footage due to concerns that AI could not claim copyright for the content it generated. Wall Street Journal It has been reported.
Today, copyright disputes are at the heart of the battle between AI companies and the creative industry. Streaming platforms face double challenges. Protect your own copyrighted materials while trying to take advantage of genai tools trained with copyrighted materials.
Concerns that genai could replace human labor have caused anxiety across the creative sector, though unions have. – At least for now – It was pushed back. In 2023, after months of strikes, the US Writers Guild and Screen Actors Guild signed a deal with Hollywood Studios, marking the first step in protecting their creative work.
Risk Management
Meanwhile, the studio is carefully approaching the adoption of genai, noting potential legal and reputational risks.
Alongside “The Eternaut,” Netflix has published a set of guidelines for filmmakers and producers, categorizing AI applications as low or high risk. Low-risk use, such as initial brainstorming of ideas, does not require prior approval. High-risk use, including creating deepfakes and relying on third-party materials, must be approved by streaming giants.
Despite the hurdles, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos in July 2025 claimed that Genai was “not only better, but better.” Hollywood Reporter.
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