Maggie Gyllenhaal Scrapped AI Marilyn Monroe Experiment After Dakota Johnson’s Performance Won Out

Maggie Gyllenhaal has revealed that she experimented with artificial intelligence while making new Marilyn Monroe short film Flesh Impact, but ultimately decided the technology was not good enough to use.

The 22-minute film was commissioned by Genesis Motor America to mark the centenary of Marilyn Monroe’s birth. Dakota Johnson plays Marilyn during the height of her fame, while Ellen Burstyn portrays an imagined older version of the Hollywood icon.

AI was tested on Dakota Johnson

Speaking at The Future of Creativity symposium in Venice, Gyllenhaal explained that she was asked to experiment with AI during production. Licensed Marilyn Monroe film material was used as part of the process, with the technology intended to digitally recreate Marilyn’s appearance.

Gyllenhaal ultimately abandoned the experiment after seeing what Dakota was producing naturally on camera. She felt the human performance was more emotional and convincing than the AI version, so the technology did not make it into the finished film.

AI debate continues in Hollywood

Gyllenhaal also raised wider concerns about artificial intelligence, including the environmental impact of large data centres and what increasingly powerful AI tools could eventually mean for filmmaking jobs.

Her experience offers a particularly interesting example because she did not simply reject AI. She tried it inside a real production and still decided that, for this project, the actor’s performance worked better.

Check out our other AI and entertainment articles for more on how artificial intelligence is changing film, television and the wider entertainment industry.