AI on Set: How Generative Tools Are Rewriting Hollywood — From Casting to the Box Office
Artificial intelligence has moved from novelty to utility across film and TV. What began as speculative demos now shows up in casting sessions, virtual production, ADR, localization, marketing, and even scoring. The timing is structural: maturing generative models, tightening budgets, streaming competition, and faster release cycles all reward speed and scale. That acceleration comes with a tension. The same systems that compress timelines and costs also raise questions about originality, consent, authorship, and credit. Filmmakers argue AI can streamline broken workflows; performers and craftspeople warn that rights and compensation must evolve just as quickly. This piece looks at how AI is used right now—what’s working, what isn’t, and where guardrails urgently belong. We focus on casting and likeness, on‑set copilots, postproduction and localization, marketing and audience intelligence, soundtracks and scores, and forecasting from greenlight to gross, then close on the new rights regime. Two NPR Technology articles referenced for “AI slop” monetization and digital afterlife ethics were not accessible at time of review; where relevant, we flag their unavailability and rely on accessible corroboration from the sources listed below.