Natasha Lyonne to direct AI-powered sci-fi film
What's the story
Natasha Lyonne, famous for her roles in Russian Doll and Poker Face, will direct and star in a new sci-fi film titled Uncanny Valley. The project, co-written by Lyonne and Brit Marling from The OA fame, will heavily use elements generated by AI models. The film tells the story of a teenage girl whose life is upended by a popular virtual reality game.
Director's vision
Lyonne's enthusiasm for 'Uncanny Valley' project
Speaking about the Uncanny Valley project, Lyonne said in a statement that the opportunity to collaborate with Marling and Jaron Lanier was "endlessly inspiring" to her. She likened the film's essence to a project by the Wachowskis, the creators of The Matrix. "Coming together as a trio in cahoots with the astounding imagineers at Asteria, to worldbuild this film at scale, has been a synergistic dream come true," she said.
Production house
Asteria: The AI-focused production company behind 'Uncanny Valley'
The more fantastical visuals of Uncanny Valley are being developed by Asteria, an AI-focused production company co-founded by Lyonne and her partner Bryn Mooser. Asteria is setting itself apart from other AI entertainment outfits by employing Marey, an AI model developed by the generative text-to-video startup Moonvalley. Marey has been pitched as one of the first truly "clean" AI models, trained entirely on licensed material with proper compensation to original creators, reports The Verge.
Project status
'Uncanny Valley' production timeline and release details unknown
As of now, Uncanny Valley doesn't have a production timeline, and it isn't clear if Asteria intends to release the film in theaters or on a streaming service. The announcement of this project comes as Hollywood is becoming more open to working with AI companies and integrating the technology into their production workflows. This shift happens despite fears of exploitation in this new tech landscape.