Danny Boyle’s latest film“Ink”just premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and it is already the most debated movie of the season. The film dramatizes Rupert Murdoch’s takeover of The Sun and how editor Larry Lamb turned it into a scandal-driven tabloid empire. Jack O’Connell and Guy Pearce lead the cast, with Pearce delivering a surprisingly understated performance as Murdoch.
But the film’s biggest talking point is not the acting. Boyle used roughly 30 seconds of generative AI to create likenesses of Margaret Thatcher and the Kray twins. During the post-screening Q&A, one frustrated audience member shouted,“Never do that shit again.”The moment instantly went viral and reignited the debate over AI’s role in Hollywood.
The movie also doesn’t pull punches with its subject matter. It connects The Sun’s reckless reporting tactics to the 1969 kidnapping and murder of Muriel McKay, a real case that shook Britain. With Boyle’s signature blend of chaos and critique,“Ink”is part history lesson, part ethical wake-up call.
Would you watch a film that uses AI to recreate real historical figures, or is that a line you would not cross?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.