{"id":567595,"date":"2026-05-05T15:20:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T15:20:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/567595\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T15:20:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T15:20:07","slug":"steven-soderbergh-used-ai-in-upcoming-john-lennon-doc-working-with-meta","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/567595\/","title":{"rendered":"Steven Soderbergh used AI in upcoming John Lennon doc working with Meta"},"content":{"rendered":"

Steven Soderbergh has revealed he used generative AI for his new documentary, John Lennon: The Last Interview<\/a>, in collaboration with Meta.<\/p>\n

The filmmaker, known for movies such as Black Bag, Erin Brockovich, and the Ocean\u2019s Eleven\u00a0trilogy, is working with the late Beatle\u2019s<\/a> estate to bring to life the last interview he gave, promoting the album \u2018Double Fantasy\u2019 with his wife and collaborator, Yoko Ono<\/a>. The task for the documentary was to provide images for the audio-only interview.<\/p>\n

Most of it that will be archival material. However, the Oscar-winner has revealed that 10 per cent of the film will feature AI-generated video footage, portraying surreal moments that he claims are not possible through creative methods.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo now we\u2019ve got it kind of laid out in chapters and we begin to fill in the areas in which John and Yoko are speaking about a specific experience that they had, or a specific piece of music, or a specific person, and layer in archival material over that text \u2014 sometimes stills, sometimes motion, video,\u201d he told Deadline<\/a>. \u201cAnd we have a version of the movie in which the only holes that remain now are the sections where John and Yoko are talking in abstract philosophical terms.\u201d<\/p>\n

@nme<\/a> <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s John Lennon\u2019s sister and the team behind @Live Odyssey on Camden\u2019s newest music fanatic attraction featuring a recreation of The Beatles icon\u2019s childhood bedroom, stacks of memorabilia and a hologram of TheLibertines. Hit the link in bio for more from Julia Baird on reclaiming John Lennon\u2019s life and memory from all the movies and books \u2013 and her thoughts on the four new biopics #LiveOdyssey<\/a> #TheBeatles<\/a> #TheLibertines<\/a> #JuliaBaird<\/a> #JohnLennon<\/a> #music<\/a> #musicindustry<\/a> #shorts<\/a> #nme<\/a> #nmemagazine<\/a> #interview<\/a> #musicinterview<\/a><\/p>\n

\u266c original sound \u2013 NME \u2013 NME<\/a> <\/p>\n

\u201cThis comprises about 10 per cent of the entire film, but it\u2019s a real problem because we\u2019ve got to come up with something \u2014 some imagery that enhances what they\u2019re saying, but is metaphorical,\u201d he continued. \u201cSo we\u2019re starting to experiment with AI, trying to see if we can build some images that\u2019ll fit alongside this text. I\u2019m trying to articulate ideas that will result in something interesting, and we\u2019re running out of money.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt this point, [producer] Michael Sugar says, \u2018Look, I\u2019ve been doing all this work with brands making content. I think we should have a conversation with Meta because they\u2019re building some video generative tools.\u2019 And I said, \u2018Fine, let\u2019s talk to them.\u2019 They were open and wanted to see the film, so we showed them the film and they said, \u2018Well, this is good timing because we really would like and need a filmmaker to stress test some of these tools that we\u2019re working on. And if you agree to be a test case for us, we will provide the tech and finish the movie.\u201d So I said, \u201cYeah, let\u2019s do that.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The director conceded that AI \u201cis a very emotional subject lately. Understandably so.\u201d However, he claimed he is using it in a way that isn\u2019t replacing human endeavour. \u201cThere are two ways of using it,\u201d he argued. \u201cThere\u2019s a way of using AI in which your intention is to fool somebody or manipulate them, to create an image that you want them to think is real. And then there\u2019s a use, which is what we\u2019re doing in the documentary, where it\u2019s obvious that it is AI and that it is being used essentially in the way that you would use VFX or CGI or any sort of non-photographic technology.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also explained the Lennon estate\u2019s support of the approach. \u201cI asked Sean [Ono Lennon]<\/a>, \u2018What do you think your dad\u2019s take on this tech would\u2019ve been?\u2019 And he said, \u2018Oh, he would\u2019ve wanted to engage.\u2019 He loved all new technology. All The Beatles did. He would want to play with it just to see what it could do. He goes, \u2018That was the way he was. \u2018 How he would\u2019ve felt about it ultimately, we\u2019ll never know, but he said he would\u2019ve wanted to play with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

John Lennon: The Last Interview will premiere at this month\u2019s Cannes Film Festival.<\/p>\n

Despite public and industry-wide hostility toward generative AI, several notable productions have moved ahead using the technology. Just over a year after his death, Val Kilmer will be portrayed through AI in the forthcoming drama As Deep As The Grave, with the actor\u2019s family giving their blessing.<\/a><\/p>\n

Elsewhere, fellow director Darren Aronofsky was criticised for using generative AI for his new history series On This Day\u2026 1776<\/a>.<\/p>\n