Filmmaker Peter Jackson calls AI 'special effect', warns it will destroy the world

Director Peter Jackson said at Cannes that he sees AI in film as just another special effect but warned it could destroy the world.

In Short

• Peter Jackson described AI in cinema as another special effect tool
• He said actors must consent before digital duplicates appear on screen
• Jackson is known for directing The Lord of the Rings series

The Lord of the Rings' director Peter Jackson said he does not "dislike" the use of AI in films, even as he remarked that it is "going to destroy the world." Speaking at a Cannes Film Festival masterclass a day after receiving an Honorary Palme d'Or, Jackson said he sees AI in cinema as another filmmaking tool.

At the same time, Jackson said one effect of the current debate around AI in Hollywood has been on how motion-capture performances are viewed, arguing that it has hurt the chances of actors such as Andy Serkis receiving awards recognition for roles such as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings films.

"I mean, to me, it's just a special effect," Jackson said. "It's no different from other special effects." He added, however, that it is "absolutely critical" to protect actors' rights from having their likenesses taken and used in films without their permission.

"If you're doing an AI duplicate of somebody, like Indiana Jones or anyone else, as long as you've licensed the rights off the person who you're showing, I don't see the issue," Jackson said. "It's when people's likenesses get stolen and usurped."

Jackson said the wider anxiety around AI has also affected the way generated or motion-capture characters are considered during awards season. "A lot of the current environment, everyone's so worried about AI ... I don't think a Gollum-type character or a generated character has any hope for winning any awards," he said.

He said that was "a bit unfair", particularly in Serkis' case. "Which is a bit unfair, especially in the Andy Serkis case where it's not an AI-generated performance, it's a human-generated performance 100% of the way," Jackson said.

Jackson's remarks at Cannes brought together his support for AI as a filmmaking effect, his warning over the misuse of actors' likenesses, and his view that the current debate has unfairly damaged recognition for motion-capture performances such as Serkis' turn as Gollum.

Recently, actor Jamie Dornan was recast as Aragorn, also known as Strider. The character was earlier portrayed by Viggo Mortensen in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Dornan's casting was revealed at CinemaCon during Warner Bros.' panel, with the film set to explore a new story within Middle-earth.

Alongside Dornan's casting and Serkis returning as Smagol, Warner Bros also revealed that Ian McKellen will return as Gandalf, while Kate Winslet will play Marigol, Leo Woodall will play Halvard, Lee Pace will play Thranduil, and Elijah Wood will return as Frodo.

While The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum was originally slated for a 2026 debut, the release date for the movie has now been pushed to December 17, 2027.

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