GoKawiilParamount Skydance CEO Ellison says AI will reshape film production costs
Speaking on Paramount Skydance's earnings call, CEO David Ellison said AI could become the biggest creative unlock in modern filmmaking history, comparing its potential impact to CGI's role in films like Jurassic Park and Terminator 2. He said the company is developing its own AI tools that could lower production budgets, citing Terminator's original $4 million cost versus an estimated $60-70 million to remake it today, and argued AI could make riskier, more original storytelling financially viable.
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Ellison's comments suggest major studios see AI primarily as a cost-reduction tool that could reopen the door to riskier, lower-budget original films rather than just franchise sequels. His framing of AI as a complement to premium IP and live events, rather than a threat, may reflect an effort to reassure investors and creatives wary of AI-driven job losses or 'AI slop' content. Whether these in-house tools can meaningfully cut costs without compromising quality remains unproven.
- Ellison compared AI's potential impact on filmmaking to CGI's role in 1990s blockbusters.
- Paramount Skydance is developing in-house AI tools meant to lower production costs and speed up workflows.
- Ellison stressed AI is meant to support artists, not replace them, while framing premium IP as more valuable in an AI era.
Source: theverge.com — Stevie Bonifield, 2026-11-09
Published there as: “David Ellison says AI could be the ‘biggest creative unlock in modern history’”
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