Story perspectives

Antony Starr Amplifies Director’s Anti-AI, VFX Critique.

6/5/2026

Summary

Starr Slams AI

Actor Antony Starr reposted Backrooms director Kane Parsons’ anti-AI Instagram comments and added criticism of VFX-driven movies.
Starr said recent films show audiences prefer human stories over big, ridiculous VFX nonsense, while Parsons argued AI removes creative satisfaction, would snap it away, yet could speed repetitive VFX work.
Parsons also said he may use AI-generated imagery as a thematic focus in projects to explore its cultural impact.

Summary

Parsons Hits $100M

Backrooms, made for $10 million, became first U.S. $100 million box-office hit, making filmmaker Kane Parsons the youngest with such a debut.
It opened with over $80 million, far above the $20 million forecast.
James Cameron, Steven Soderbergh and Martin Scorsese, directors, warned AI will never replace artists and said they use AI selectively, showing audience preference for stories.
Evangeline Lily, analyst, linked recent Marvel layoffs partly to AI adoption, raising Hollywood economic worries.

Summary

Scorsese Endorses AI

Filmmaker Martin Scorsese posted an advisory on Black Forest Labs’ website saying AI helps him share visualizations more clearly and efficiently with his production team.
The third article, dated 2026-06-04, received a reliability rating of 41.29, was classified Center leaning, and its section is labeled “introduction” in metadata.
In a Variety interview, Variety interviewee Parsons called AI-generated billboards “AI slop” in everyday visual culture, a phrase not previously reported.

Summary

Parsons Completes Backrooms

Parsons completed post-production on *Backrooms* while speaking to Deadline via Zoom from the editing bay.
He created effects with Blender, a free CGI program he first learned on a crummy laptop.
Parsons expanded his self-taught workflow using YouTube tutorials and additional software obtained through undisclosed means.
He says creators can start projects on modest hardware, rejects AI as a creative tool, yet will use AI-generated billboard imagery in works.

History

Historical Context

Pixar’s 1995 release of Toy Story, the first fully computer-animated feature, proved digital tools could rival hand-drawn animation. The Oscar-winning short Tin Toy (1988) convinced Disney to partner, leading to the 2006 $7.4 billion Pixar-Disney acquisition; John Lasseter later became chief creative officer and Pixar now boasts 23 Academy Awards. Today’s AI-image debate echoes that original digital-artistry clash.

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Starr Slams AI

Actor Antony Starr reposted Backrooms director Kane Parsons’ anti-AI Instagram comments and added criticism of VFX-driven movies.
Starr said recent films show audiences prefer human stories over big, ridiculous VFX nonsense, while Parsons argued AI removes creative satisfaction, would snap it away, yet could speed repetitive VFX work.
Parsons also said he may use AI-generated imagery as a thematic focus in projects to explore its cultural impact.

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