The 2023 WGA Writers Strike gave Hollywood employees a glimpse of AI’s possible place in Hollywood. The union argued that performers need protection from their likenesses being used by AI technology without their consent, and the threat of studios replacing screenwriters with the advanced technology to write scripts. After James Cameron expressed his change of heart on AI’s place in Hollywood, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos provides his own take.
James Cameron’s New Stance on AI in Hollywood
Back in 2023, around the time of the SAG-AFTRA Strikes, James Cameron told CTV News that he “warned” us in 1984 about AI being “the biggest danger.” He was referring to his 1984 classic, The Terminator, which was an unnerving movie about the power of AI spiraling beyond human control. But while speaking with the Boz to the Future podcast this month, he pivoted on why he thinks AI is important for blockbuster movies:
If we want to continue to see the kinds of movies that I’ve always loved and that I like to make and that I will go to see — call it Dune, Dune: Two, something like that, or one of my films or big effects-heavy, CG-heavy films — we’ve got to figure out how to cut the cost of that in half.
The Canadian director is well-known for making big-budget movies that critics and audiences love. With James Cameron continuing to push the boundaries of technology with each cinematic masterpiece, he sure knows a thing or two about how much it costs to get the new technology up and running. It’s clear the Titanic filmmaker has a less dystopian view of AI and sees it more as a cost-effective way to make movies and speed up the visual effects process.
Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos’ View of AI in Hollywood
James Cameron may see AI as a way to cut the massive budgets of blockbuster movies, but Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos has a different vision for the new technology. Instead of looking at AI as a way to save money, Sarandos said in a 2025 Q1 Earnings Conference Call (via Seeking Alpha) that he’s more concerned with AI enhancing the storytelling process:
I read the article too, what Jim Cameron said about making movies 50% cheaper. I remain convinced that there's an even bigger opportunity if you can make movies 10% better. So, our talent today is using AI tools to do set references or previs, VFX sequence prep, shop planning, all kinds of things today that kind of make the process better.
It looks like the Netflix Co-CEO feels the priority lies more in using AI to assist in the creative process rather than its use for budget cuts. Based on Ted Sarandos' claims of how talent is operating artificial intelligence, AI has been used to provide better content in the pre-production stage through the planning of sets, scenes, and VFX.
Ted Sarandos also spoke in his conference call about AI’s potential to break barriers in advanced technology accessibility. Through artificial intelligence, VFX apparently can be available to a wide variety of filmmakers compared to only mega-budget films:
Traditionally, only big-budget projects would have access to things like technical -- advanced visual effects such as de-aging. So, today you can use these AI-powered tools so to enable smaller budget projects to have access to big VFX on screen.
The Netflix Co-CEO would know all about de-aging technology. The streamer’s Martin Scorsese flick The Irishman showed off its impressive de-aging technology to make Robert De Niro look younger compared to using different actors to play younger versions. But, the budgeting for the gangster film was reportedly really intense at $159-200 million. Only major studios would have access to big technological advancements like this. Ted Sarandos believes that with AI, smaller-budget projects would also have access to pull off high-end visuals like de-aging effects.
The American businessman used the example of Pedro Páramo (which is streaming on your Netflix subscription) to describe how AI tools were used for Rodrigo Prieto’s directorial debut. Ted Sarandos explained the Mexican director was able to use de-aging technology for less than what The Irishman spent on it:
Same creator using new tools, new better tools to do something that would have been impossible to do just five years ago. That's incredibly exciting. So, our focus is simple, find ways for AI to improve the member and the creator experience.
Technology is rapidly growing year after year. Ted Sarandos appears to see AI as beneficial to subscribers and the creators making the projects.
James Cameron and Ted Sarandos’ views on AI in Hollywood differ in terms of budgeting vs. better storytelling. However, they both appear to agree about AI’s potential to reshape the filmmaking process.
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