Stop! That! Train! director addresses claims of AI usage in film
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All before its official theatrical release, RuPaul’s Stop! That! Train! is being criticized for its alleged use of AI in the movie’s special effects, even sparking calls for a boycott of the film.
The first rumblings of AI being used in the movie seem to originate from a one-star Letterbox review.
“It’s one of the most conspicuous uses of AI I’ve seen in a film, with a lot of VFX looking like gen AI and doubt about how much of the obvious stock footage might also be,” user Gloria Cook wrote, also adding that Acme AI was listed as the “top-billed VFX company” in the credits.
The claims were enough to spark online outrage from drag fans, some even pointing out it wasn't the first time Drag Race was accused of using AI in their projects.
In season 18 of RuPaul's Drag Race, viewers were upset to see what appeared to be the use of the controversial technology during its contestants' portrait bit.
They were also accused of using AI in a holiday animated short featuring Jinx Monsoon and Plasma just last year.
However, the director of the movie, Adam Shankman, is setting the record straight, telling movie-goers that generative AI usage in the drag queen comedy film is “patently not true.”
“Every shot in Stop! That! Train! was made by human hands!,” the filmmaker clarified in a statement first shared to his Instagram on Tuesday afternoon.
“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.”
“We employed hundreds of VFX artists who all killed themselves getting this out for release and not one job was taken out of human hands, Shankman added. “The movie is a fully human made piece of joy and laughter. Take it in and enjoy it y’all! We need the laughter!”
Starring Drag Race alums Ginger Mini, Jujubee, and Latrice Royale, Stop! That! Train! follows a crew of drag queen train attendants trying to prevent a catastrophic storm from derailing a locomotive in Los Angeles.
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