A new milestone blurs the line between technology and creativity, raising big questions for the future of film and performance

When people imagine the future of movies, they often picture stunning visual effects or breathtaking virtual worlds. But few expected that a film would arrive in 2025 with a twist straight out of science fiction: every background actor on screen was created by artificial intelligence. In a quiet but groundbreaking release, one major streaming platform has become the first to debut a feature-length movie where digital humans—designed, animated, and even voiced by AI—fill the crowd scenes, support main actors, and populate entire story worlds.

As reported by Variety, this bold experiment has sparked immediate debate across Hollywood and beyond. Is this a clever use of technology to save time and money, or a threat to working actors and the authenticity audiences expect from real performances?

How AI-Generated Actors Are Created

The process blends deep learning, motion capture, and state-of-the-art text-to-video tools. Producers feed hundreds of hours of real crowd footage, gestures, and voice samples into advanced AI models, which then generate lifelike digital extras that can react, emote, and even improvise. The technology enables directors to populate entire stadiums, city streets, and party scenes with virtual people—no casting calls, no extras on set, no need for digital “copy-paste” of a handful of real actors.

The main human stars still anchor the story, but every restaurant patron, concertgoer, and passerby in the background was conjured from code. Studios say it streamlines production and allows for a kind of creative flexibility never before possible. The AI extras can be endlessly customized for age, style, movement, and even mood—no two scenes need to look the same.

Actors, Audiences, and a New Kind of Authenticity

Reactions within the entertainment industry are mixed. Many working actors, particularly those who rely on background roles for income, worry about being replaced by lines of code. Unions have already begun lobbying for new regulations to guarantee that digital performances don’t undermine human careers or violate rights to likeness and voice.

For audiences, the question is whether anyone will notice—or care. Early reviews say that while the AI extras are impressively realistic, some viewers sense an “uncanny valley” effect: crowds that look almost perfect but feel subtly off. Others argue that the real threat is to the soul of filmmaking itself—can a story resonate if the people in it never actually existed?

The Future of Acting, Creativity, and Copyright

Industry analysts believe this is only the beginning. As AI tools improve, it’s possible that main characters could someday be entirely synthetic, with custom looks and personalities created at the click of a button. Legal experts warn of looming copyright challenges—who owns an AI actor’s “performance”? Can you copyright a digital face, or will virtual personas become commodities traded between studios?

While the technology promises exciting creative options, it also raises tough questions about the boundaries between art, labor, and technology. For now, the hybrid approach—real actors in key roles, AI filling in the world—seems likely to become standard.

At ThomasOn360 Inc, we recognize the excitement and challenges that come with blending AI and creativity. Whether we’re producing photorealistic 3D visualizations, designing immersive environments, or pushing the boundaries of digital storytelling, we believe the magic happens when technology amplifies human imagination—not when it replaces it. As AI continues to reshape industries from film to architecture, our commitment is to help clients harness new tools while preserving the authenticity and passion that make every story unique.