WASHINGTON — Director Adam Shankman denied that any artificial intelligence was used in the visual effects of his upcoming film "Stop! That! Train!" following online speculation and a critical review after an advance screening on May 28. "It's come to my attention that there is some on-line speculation that 'Stop! That! Train!' is full of fully generative AI shots and I'm here to tell you this is patently not true. There are a sum total of ZERO shots conceived by AI in the movie," Shankman said.
Responding to claims that the film featured conspicuous AI-generated visuals, Shankman emphasized the human craftsmanship behind the production. "Every shot in 'Stop! That! Train!' was made by human hands," he said. Shankman also wrote on social media that the production employed hundreds of VFX artists and that no jobs were replaced by AI.
The controversy emerged after filmmaker and VFX artist Gloria Cook wrote in a Letterboxd review that the film included "one of the most conspicuous uses of AI I've seen in a film, with a lot of VFX looking like gen AI," and noted the presence of AI company Acme AI and FX in the end credits. Acme AI and FX is listed as a VFX partner on the film.
A source connected to the production confirmed to Out magazine that no generative AI was used in the making of the film. A separate source familiar with the production told Variety that Acme AI was contracted exclusively for its visual effects work and that any AI use was limited to background workflow processes—not anything visible on screen.
"Stop! That! Train!", an action comedy disaster film starring RuPaul, Ginger Minj, and Jujubee, is set for release June 12.