Gareth Edwards Champions Generative AI as the Next Filmmaking Tool

On Thursday, May 29, 2026, director Gareth Edwards joined a world-building panel at Amazon’s AI on the Lot event in Culver City, California. The session focused on generative-AI diffusion models and their potential role in big-budget filmmaking. Edwards, who directed *Jurassic World Rebirth*, *Rogue One*, and the sci-fi film *The Creator*, noted that the technology changes “every three months” and urged filmmakers to treat it as a new creative tool.

Hollywood Reporter

Edwards began his career in visual effects before moving to direct major franchises. His public support for AI is unusual among directors of large IP properties. Paul Schrader, writer-director of *American Gigolo* and *First Reformed*, also spoke, highlighting AI’s narrative possibilities.

Hollywood Reporter

Edwards described AI as a preparatory tool, saying it excels at “iteration and discovering what the movie should be” but still needs human oversight. He compared it to a “second-unit director” that can execute any prompt, though it may go “batshit crazy.” Schrader argued that AI’s commercial future lies in creating fully realized AI protagonists rather than merely enhancing visual effects, and suggested AI could eventually replace human extras.

Hollywood Reporter

Critics note artistic limits of current AI. Peter Bradshaw of *The Guardian* called AI-generated inserts in Steven Soderbergh’s documentary *John Lennon: The Last Interview* “blandly generic and very mediocre.” Observers also warn that replacing human extras with synthetic characters raises ethical and economic concerns, including job loss and loss of authentic performance.

The Guardian

Edwards says AI could lower entry barriers, letting creators produce concept trailers and visual studies at lower cost. Reliable AI pre-visualization could streamline budgeting, reduce reliance on expensive sets, and cut the need for large numbers of background performers. Yet the technology’s lack of “taste” reinforces the need for human creative judgment.

Hollywood Reporter

Both Edwards and Schrader said AI’s rapid evolution makes long-term forecasts unreliable. Edwards warned that anyone claiming to know AI filmmaking’s exact state five years out is “just a liar.” The industry will watch further experiments, regulatory debate, and audience response to see how generative AI fits into mainstream pipelines.

Hollywood Reporter

• “it is a fucking genius at helping you” — Gareth Edwards, Director

The Guardian

• “I view it like having a second-unit director who is a billionaire on acid.” — Gareth Edwards, Director

The Guardian

• “The real tip of the spear is when we can create an AI protagonist, not a hybrid, and that movie makes money.” — Paul Schrader, Director

The Guardian

• “Why are we paying extras $180 a day when they look so plastic? We not only pay them, we have to clothe them and feed them. Why don’t we just make them? We can and we will.” — Paul Schrader, Director

The Guardian

• “blandly generic and very mediocre” — Peter Bradshaw, Guardian critic

The Guardian