In early December, another creator will look to follow in the footsteps of Curry Barker, Mark Fischbach (Markiplier) and Kane Parsons and parlay their YouTube following into a surprise box office success.
But this story has a twist: the creator, Zack London, has built his fanbase by putting out AI-generated clips through his channel Gossip Goblin, and his first film, “Gods Don’t Give Gifts,” will be the first AI-generated film to get a theatrical release in the U.S.
“Gods Don’t Give Gifts,” an anthology set in a dystopian sci-fi future that’s embraced transhumanism, could serve as a test case for how receptive audiences are for AI-generated movies. While studios are increasingly embracing AI into their workflows for special effects or pre- or post-production work, London’s film fully embraces its AI label.
That could be a risk as AI evokes divisive opinions, with critics labeling most of the content as slop and younger audiences expressing heavy resistance to even the idea of AI-generated movies and shows. But to London, it’s a tool that allows him to create something he otherwise could never make.
“What AI actually gave me is the ability to transmit stories onto a screen, with minimal filters, intervention, committees or constraints,” London said. “It’s enabled myself and a small talented team to envision an extravagant world, down to its smallest prop, and bring it to life with extraordinary fidelity — from jaw-dropping visuals of leviathans and space ships and talking apes, down to the scuffed-up sneakers on a background extra.”
London’s embrace of AI puts him at odds with those other high-profile creators, with Parsons particularly vocal in his opposition of the technology. But like the other creators, London has cultivated a base of 1.6 million subscribers to his Gossip Goblin YouTube channel, and boasts Elon Musk and Joe Rogan among fans.
Those fans eagerly watch his short videos, which are all linked to a broader Gossip Goblin universe centered on the “13 cycles of humanity,” with the interconnected stories in “Gods Don’t Give Gifts” taking place in the second cycle (don’t ask).
As a result, “Gods Don’t Give Gifts” isn’t entering theaters cold and benefits from an established base that understands the universe and, just as important, the unique aesthetics of the film. The movie is pitched as an “animated film,” but the characters are near-photo real (you can easily recognize Grimes) even if the setting and feel are at times fantastical, grotesque and mind-warping.
London told TheWrap that a cast and crew of about two dozen, including a dozen voice actors, foley artists, sound mixers, animators and musicians, worked together to create the film. And despite the broader perception that AI artists merely type in a prompt to generate a video, he said that there was months of painstaking work to iterate and get the tiniest details correct. But those tools allowed him to think more ambitiously about what he wanted to create.
“AI means I don’t have to write scripts with a budget in mind,” he said. “I can tell super bold and cerebral stories that wouldn’t get told, at least not at this production value.”
He added that he hopes the film helps carve out a bigger niche in the indie sci-fi genre, one he believes has been hollowed out with studios unwilling to bankroll such projects and filmmakers lacking the resources to do these kinds of films justice using conventional means.
The film, which is also backed by Fable CEO Edward Saatchi, who serves as co-producer, will follow Fischbach’s strategy of working with a booker to independently get the movie into theaters. Demand to see Fischbach’s “Iron Lung” led to more theaters picking up his film, which ultimately made more than $50 million at the global box office. Saatchi said he was targeting nearly 1,000 theaters to start.
If you think using AI to create a film that explores the consequences of humanity’s unbridled embrace of technology is ironic, that’s not lost on London.
“Using a medium to interrogate that medium is one of the oldest moves in art; I may just be early to do it with AI,” he said.
“Gods Don’t Give Gifts” comes out on Dec. 4.
The post AI Film ‘Gods Don’t Give Gifts’ Hopes to Tap YouTube Following — and Grimes — for Breakout Moment appeared first on TheWrap.
