Emily Blunt opts out of using AI in important scene for Steven Spielberg film ‘Disclosure Day’

Emily Blunt made a bold choice when filming a crucial scene for the upcoming sci-fi movie Disclosure Day, directed by Steven Spielberg. In the film, Blunt portrays a Kansas City TV meteorologist who encounters an otherworldly presence while broadcasting a weather segment. The movie also stars Josh O’Connor as a whistleblower seeking to uncover government secrets related to alien lifeforms. Recently, during an interview on Hot Ones, Blunt discussed a scene where her character speaks in an alien language.

Blunt revealed that the scene involved a challenging four-minute long take where her character undergoes a transformation. Instead of opting for artificial intelligence to create the sound effects for the scene, Blunt decided to work with a sound team to record organic sounds using strategically placed microphones. She described the process of creating the alien sounds, which involved a range of clicking, humming, consonant, and breathing sounds that she produced herself. The final touches were added by a sound designer who enhanced the recordings to create the eerie sound required for the scene.

Disclosure Day, set to premiere on June 12th, features a star-studded cast including Colin Firth, Eve Hewson, and Colman Domingo. This film marks Spielberg’s 37th directorial project and adds to his impressive sci-fi filmography, which includes classics like Close Encounters of the Third Kind and ET the Extra Terrestrial.

Blunt’s decision to avoid using AI in her performance reflects a growing trend among actors who are cautious about the role of AI in filmmaking. Actors like Matthew McConaughey have spoken out about their concerns regarding the potential impact of AI on the industry, including the possibility of AI-generated performances replacing human actors in the future.

In a separate development, an AI-generated film titled Dreams of Violets is set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. This 75-minute docudrama, inspired by real events from Iranian history, was created on a limited budget over three months by directors Ash and Pooya Koosha, marking a groundbreaking moment in the industry as the first AI-generated live-action feature film to be accepted into a major film festival.

As the debate around AI in filmmaking continues, Blunt’s decision to rely on organic sounds for her performance in Disclosure Day adds an intriguing layer to the discussion about the intersection of technology and art in the film industry.