Why Paramount Thinks AI Could Give New Directors a Shot at Hollywood

Paramount Skydance boss David Ellison thinks artificial intelligence could have a bigger impact on filmmaking than CGI.

Speaking on the company’s 9 November earnings call, he argued that if AI makes ambitious productions cheaper, studios could be more willing to back original films from first-time directors.

Ellison pointed to Jurassic Park and Terminator 2 as examples of what advances in visual effects made possible. He also argued that recreating the original Terminator shot for shot would cost far more today. His argument is that bringing those costs down could make it easier for a studio to take a chance on a director without a box-office track record.

Can AI help a film get past the pitch?

Filmmaker Robert Gaudette has used generative AI to turn written treatments into images for pitch decks and storyboards. That gives directors a way to show how a sequence might look and feel while they’re still asking people to back it.

A clearer pitch can help a director make their case, but the studio still decides which films get financed. If AI lowers costs, those savings could make room for more first features or go back into franchises with an established audience.

The measure of Ellison’s claim is how many new directors get to make a film they otherwise couldn’t.