Is The Future of Film Being Written By AI?
The future of movies may be decided by lawyers and software.
It's Wednesday, June 25th. Here's what's happening.
🍿 The Big Picture
While writers, directors, producers, studio execs and distributors pour their hearts and souls into films that they hope the public will pay for, a transformative technology is swimming beneath the surface like the shark from Jaws. Of course, I am talking about AI.
Rapidly advancing technology is outpacing the industry, and will continue to do so, no matter how many lawyers file motions to try and stop the advancement. Disney and Comcast recently sued Midjourney (and rightly so) to halt the company from using their copyrighted characters, just as rumors of the company's video engine were heating up. Curiously, Warner Bros. Discovery did not join in the lawsuit. That's a topic for another time.
Meanwhile, Anthropic recently triumphed in a lawsuit trying to block the AI firm from using web content for training. Anthropic is backed by Amazon. Do you think AI will be used in Amazon/MGM's next James Bond movie? And if they used AI to achieve incredible effects (meanwhile making stunts safer) would that be such a bad thing?
For the first time, the future of cinema may be steered as much by programmers and lawyers as by storytellers. The challenge ahead: preserving jobs, protecting copyrights, and maintaining ethics, while exploring AI’s potential as a creative tool.
Let’s hope we get the balance right.
🎥 Extra Coverage
Cinemark is adding D-BOX motion seats to some theaters. These are special seats that move and vibrate in synchronization with the screen action. (Rocket City Now)
Paramount is dropping the Showtime name from its streaming platform Paramount+. (The Hollywood Reporter)
Cannes prizewinner Two Prosecutors has been acquired by Janus Films. The Criterion Channel partner purchased the North American distribution rights. (TheWrap)
As we hit the midpoint of the year, it appears that family friendly hits such as Lilo & Stitch ($910 million globally) and A Minecraft Movie ($954.4 million globally) are bailing out the industry as a whole. (Variety)
More on AI firm Anthropic's victory in the courts. The case involved the teaching of AI systems using content from the web. (The Hollywood Reporter)
📈 Movie Stock Index
Market Close: Wednesday, June 25th, 2025
Total Value: $106,316.83
Today's Change: -$417.25 (-0.39%)
Total Gain/Loss (Since 05/12/25): $6,316.81 (6.32%)
While the movie index closed in the red, the dip was minimal (-0.39%). Theater chains Cinemark, Imax and Marcus all closed down today. However tech giants Apple and Alphabet bailed the index out, as they rose in tandem with chipmaker Nvidia (posting new highs). The biggest change was for Lionsgate, which closed to the downside (-3.32%).
Disclaimer: The MovieNewsPro Stock Index is a virtual index - there are no actual funds invested. Sector index total value dollar amounts are based on an initial hypothetical investment of $100,000 on May 12th, 2025. MovieNewsPro and/or its publisher may own stock or have interest in the companies mentioned. We are not licensed investment advisors and our information should not be used as investment advice. Invest wisely.
🏆 Film Festivals
Doc Edge Film Festival, New Zealand - June 18-July 31
Frameline San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, US - June 18-28
Raindance Film Festival, UK - June 18-27
Brussels International Film Festival, Belgium - June 20-28
Mediterrane Film Festival, Malta - June 21-29
London Screenings, UK - June 23-25
Sunny Side Of The Doc, France - June 23-26
Biarritz Film Festival Nouvelles Vagues, France - June 24-29
Docs Ireland, Ireland - June 24-29
Palm Springs ShortFest, US - June 24-30
Nantucket Film Festival, US - June 25-30
Oak Cliff Film Festival, US - June 26-29
FilmFest Munich, Germany - June 27-July 6
📺 Watch This Tonight
Brief Encounter (1945)
Directed by David Lean
Seriously, this might be the most romantic movie ever made. Plus it has film noir lighting and style. Outstanding.
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Disclaimer/Transparency
MovieNewsPro is a film industry news monitoring service. All stories have been previously reported elsewhere and are not exclusive stories to MNP. All information is believed to be accurate at the time of reporting. MovieNewsPro uses a full array of technology to gather information, including machine learning, automation and artificial intelligence throughout its business monitoring, editing and reporting process.
