Filmmaker Peter Jackson, the man behind the acclaimed and successful adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, has put his weight behind the use of artificial intelligence in films, saying he does not ‘dislike’ it. The filmmaker has also said that the negative perception around AI is why people like Andy Serkis never win awards for his motion-capture performance as character Gollum in the LOTR films.
Peter Jackson on AI use in films
Speaking at a Cannes Film Festival masterclass the day after he was bestowed an Honorary Palme d’Or, Peter said that though AI is “going to destroy the world,” when it comes to its use in film, “I don’t dislike it at all.”
“I mean, to me, it’s just a special effect; it’s no different from other special effects. If you’re doing an AI duplicate of somebody, like Indiana Jones or anyone else, as long as you’ve licensed the rights off the person who you’re showing, I don’t see the issue, it’s when people’s likenesses get stolen and usurped,” added the filmmaker.
Worry about AI is why Andy Serkis has no hope of awards
The filmmaker added that the worry and fear of AI is why actors who give motion capture performances are never considered for major awards like the Oscars.
“A lot of the current environment, everyone’s so worried about AI. I don’t think a Gollum-type character or a generated character has any hope for winning any awards. Which is a bit unfair, especially in the Andy Serkis case, where it’s not an AI-generated performance, it’s a human-generated performance 100% of the way,” said Jackson.
Andy Serkis rose to fame playing Gollum in the three Lord of the Rings film. His motion-capture performance was widely acclaimed and is now considered the gold standard for the technology in Hollywood. But the actor did not win any major awards for it. Since then, Serkis has performed many other iconic characters, including a live-action turn in both the Marvel Cinematic Universe and The Batman.
Andy Serkis’ return as Gollum
Serkis is returning to Middle-Earth as Gollum in the new film, The Hunt for Gollum, which he is directing and starring in. Peter Jackson, who is producing the film, opened up at Cannes, “The film is about Gollum’s psychological addiction. I thought, ‘Andy knows this guy better than anybody.’ So I actually didn’t think much of myself [directing the new movie]. I thought the most exciting version of this movie is if Andy Serkis makes it.”
Peter Jackson was presented with his honorary Palme by Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood on Tuesday night during the festival’s opening ceremony. The festival began on May 12 and will continue till May 23.