Guillermo Del Toro Denounces AI in Filmmaking

While accepting a tribute for his film Frankenstein at the Gotham Awards, Guillermo del Toro spoke out against the use of artificial intelligence in filmmaking.

Director Guillermo del Toro, along with stars Jacob Elordi and Oscar Isaac from his horror-sci-fi film, started his acceptance speech by paying tribute to Mary Shelley, the author of the original Frankenstein novel. He shared that he first read the book at age 11 and immediately knew he wanted to make a movie version of it.

Del Toro realized early on, through stories and seeing actors like Boris Karloff, that he didn’t fit in with conventional society. He felt a sense of belonging with fantastical characters and those considered outsiders, and they’ve been his community ever since. Returning to this story now, at 61, with incredibly talented artists Oscar and Jacob, has been a remarkable honor, and he considers them another family.

Following brief remarks from Elordi and Isaac at Monday night’s event at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City, del Toro took the stage again to express his gratitude to the cast and crew for realizing his vision of Frankenstein.

Guillermo del Toro wanted to express his gratitude to the incredible cast and crew, emphasizing that every shot in the film reflects their exceptional skill and dedication. He specifically acknowledged the artistry of the designers, builders, makeup artists, costume team, cinematographers, composers, and editors, stating that this film is a tribute to their work.

He concluded his acceptance speech by slamming the use of AI in Hollywood.

Del Toro said: “I would like to extend our gratitude and say f— AI.”

Last October, the acclaimed actor, who has won three Oscars, stated he would strongly oppose using AI-generated content in his films, going so far as to say he’d prefer not to make them if it meant relying on that technology.

Guillermo del Toro recently stated he has no interest in using generative AI for his upcoming $120 million film adaptation of Frankenstein. Speaking on NPR’s Fresh Air, the 61-year-old director said he hopes to avoid using the technology for the rest of his life. He mentioned receiving an email asking about his views on AI, prompting his response.

“My answer was very short. I said, ‘I’d rather die.’”

The 10 Worst Netflix Movies of the Last 10 Years (2016-2025)

10. Heart of Stone (2023)

The movie Heart of Stone starts with a promising idea: a new computer expert joins a spy team, secretly a seasoned agent like James Bond. To really make this work, though, you need an actor who seems unassuming and can be genuinely funny when things go wrong, similar to how Bob Odenkirk was used in Nobody. Unfortunately, the filmmakers cast Gal Gadot, and about 40 minutes in, the movie abandons this clever concept. It then becomes a standard action film about artificial intelligence, covering similar ground to Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning but without Tom Cruise’s energy or any interesting discussion about special effects. The AI in Heart of Stone, called “The Heart,” is portrayed as simply good, and the action sequences rely heavily on uninspired CGI.

9. Lift (2024)

At this point, people like to make easy jokes about how bad Netflix movies feel like they were extruded from some data port by a malfunctioning AI, but Kevin Hart’s downmarket Ocean’s 11 knockoff Lift really seemed like it was assembled from a checklist of things all Netflix blockbusters must possess, including…

A generic title of no more than three words.
Bland digital photography without style or panache.
Big-name stars who are not too big to take a low-effort, high-salary paycheck.
A plot that involves a bunch of international locations in countries where Netflix sells subscriptions.
At least one sequence where they clearly never went to said international location and shot the entire thing on an obvious green screen instead.

8. Trigger Warning (2024)

In Trigger Warning, Jessica Alba stars as a highly skilled CIA agent who comes home to find a plot involving a valuable mine and a dishonest senator. With Redbox gone, movies like this end up on Netflix, often suggested to viewers who liked Rebel Ridge. However, even if you enjoyed Rebel Ridge, this isn’t a movie you’ll want to watch.

7. Red Notice (2021)

I remember when Red Notice came out – everyone was talking about how much money Netflix spent on it, bringing together Dwayne Johnson, Ryan Reynolds, and Gal Gadot for a treasure hunt. Honestly, though, it was a huge disappointment. Despite having three incredibly charismatic leads, the script gave them nothing interesting to work with – no memorable lines or compelling moments. And the bullfighting scene? It was just…bad. It didn’t even try to look real. They clearly didn’t film it in a real arena, and it didn’t even look like the actors were sharing the same set! It was one of the most obviously fake scenes I’ve seen in a long time.

6. Your Place or Mine (2023)

This movie feels like the idea stopped as soon as Reese Witherspoon and Ashton Kutcher agreed to star. The plot is strange – Witherspoon’s character travels across the country for a one-week accounting class, despite the availability of local or online options. When her babysitter cancels, her unlikely best friend (Kutcher) flies out to watch her son, even though she has another friend with kids (Tig Notaro) who’s conveniently available. These little inconsistencies add up. However, even if the plot had flaws, a funny script or good chemistry between the leads could have saved it. Unfortunately, the scenes feel flat and rushed, and it’s hard to believe these characters would actually end up together – they just don’t seem like a good match!

5. The Electric State (2025)

There was a lot of talk about the $320 million Netflix spent on this sci-fi film directed by the Russo brothers, and it seems like even that was too much. The movie feels like a waste of money, as it doesn’t even look good. The character and visual designs are bland and uninspired. The story follows a young woman (Millie Bobby Brown) traveling through a world filled with robots to find her brother, aided by Chris Pratt, who seems to be playing a familiar action hero role with a questionable hairstyle. The film’s core story, based on a book the reviewer hasn’t read, is confusing, and while strange stories can be enjoyable, this film isn’t even visually appealing.

4.Rebel Moon — Part Two: The Scargiver

The first part of Zack Snyder’s sci-fi film, released at the end of 2023, was enjoyable because it focused on assembling a team and exploring strange worlds with unique creatures and technology. However, the second part, Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver, is essentially one long, drawn-out battle. Snyder’s overuse of slow motion makes it feel slow and repetitive – I actually had to try watching it three times because it kept putting me to sleep. On the plus side, the film certainly delivers on its promise of intense action and bloodshed. I’m sure the extended, R-rated version, Rebel Moon – Chapter Two: Curse of Forgiveness, is an improvement, but I’m not in a hurry to watch it.

3. Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022)

I don’t have a background in real estate or city planning, but I’m skeptical about a plan to sell an abandoned, isolated town to wealthy millennials. The idea is to turn it into a trendy spot with a comic book store and a brunch cafe, but who would actually go that far out of their way to eat and shop? And, just to add to the strangeness, the town’s only current resident is…Leatherface. Does he even like brunch? It’s basically the premise of the latest Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie.

Also, slasher films often show killers moving silently, even when they’re large and strong. But wouldn’t a chainsaw be incredibly loud? It seems like it would be hard to sneak up on anyone with a buzzing chainsaw running!

2. Diana: The Musical

When the planned Broadway debut of the Princess Diana musical was cancelled due to Covid, the creators filmed the show without an audience to preserve it. Although Diana eventually opened on Broadway in winter 2021, the recording first appeared on Netflix, seemingly as a promotional tool.

Instead, it quickly became a source of ironic fascination. Some parts of Diana: The Musical are even more bizarre than the famously strange Cats movie. Unlike Cats, it features questionable rhymes pairing ‘thrilla’ and ‘Manila’ with ‘Diana’ and ‘Camilla’. Surprisingly, the musical treats the tragic story of Princess Diana with an upbeat and confusing tone. It’s hard to believe so many people approved of a song where Prince Charles sings “Darling, I’m holding my son, so let me say ‘Jolly well done!’” Diana closed on Broadway after only 33 performances, but Diana: The Musical will remain available on Netflix indefinitely.

1. Marmaduke (2022)

I’ve rarely seen an animated movie as visually unappealing as Marmaduke, and I hope I never do. It feels like something made purely to fulfill a contractual obligation or, frankly, as part of a shady financial scheme. Surprisingly, despite the terrible animation, the film boasts a talented voice cast including J.K. Simmons, David Koechner, and Pete Davidson. It’s baffling – did they not see the script or the awful character designs? What could possibly have convinced them to participate? Marmaduke is just plain bad. I wouldn’t even subject my childhood bullies to it – and they used to write songs about my bad habits, which, honestly, was more imaginative than this movie.

2025-12-02 19:58