Skydance boss David Ellison has spoken out about AI use in projects, not long after James Gunn and Peter Safran departed as heads of DC Studios.
“I think when you zoom out and look at production, AI really has the potential to be the biggest creative unlock in modern history," Ellison said on Skydance's latest earnings call (via The Verge).
Ellison then compared the breakthrough – if you want to call it that – to the emergence of CGI and special effects in the 1990s, name-checking both Jurassic Park and Terminator 2 as beneficiaries of that leap in technology.
Ellison continued, "It's hard to imagine that AI is not going to have a more significant impact than that. And I personally believe that’s going to be an incredible unlock on creativity.”
While Ellison, who now heads up Skydance after the acquisition of Paramount and Warner Bros., may be waxing lyrical about AI usage, he does warn that artists remain key to his vision.
“In a world of AI slop, we think there will always be a premium for truly hand-crafted storytelling," Ellison said. "We also continue to believe that artificial intelligence is a tool for artists and will never be a replacement for them."
It's unclear exactly how or to what extent AI will be used in upcoming Skydance projects – if at all – but it all comes off the back of a shocking DC shakeup as Jeremy Latcham was brought in to replace the outgoing Gunn and Safran
Later reports from The Wrap indicate that Ellison had been discussing Latcham taking over DC Studios as early as a month ago, prior to the Warner Bros. and Paramount merger as Skydance.
Upon their departure, Ellison said in a statement, "James and Peter launched a new era for DC Studios and led it through a period of real transformation, resetting the foundation and building a slate we’re incredibly proud of. We're grateful for their passion, contributions and commitment to this legendary brand."
For more, we have a renewed look at the upcoming DC movies in the works, as well as all the movie release dates you need to know about as 2027 approaches.
