We’re only a few weeks away from Wes Anderson’s new flick, Asteroid City, but cinemagoers are finding it a little unsettling that most of the internet seems to be enamored by the AI creations inspired by Anderson’s cinematic style rather than his very real upcoming film.
Over the past few days, a lot of video clips have surfaced online showing what some iconic movies would’ve looked like had Wes Anderson directed them. One viral teaser, in particular, even imagined how the director’s absurdist humor and unique decoupage could’ve influenced Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings, painting J.R.R. Tolkien’s world in a completely different light.
While these experiments are a fun way to learn what new AI tools are really capable of, the attention they’re receiving isn’t sitting well with a lot of Wes Anderson fans, especially since we’re essentially presiding on the eve of Asteroid City‘s premiere.
Yes, folks, we get it. AI has grown incredibly handy at picking apart visual motifs, but there’s more to Wes Anderson movies than bizarre names and strange amalgamations.
Unless people are really willing to explore the entirety of cinematic history through Anderson’s lens — or rather, artificial intelligence’s impression of it — they should really stop this trend.
Asteroid City has used up the bulk of Hollywood talent currently available for employment and seems to be in direct competition with Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer over the crown of having the most star-studded cast. Yet despite this, on the day the movie’s reviews have come out, and indicated a positive critical reception overall, most people seem to be focusing on something that’s neither here nor there. At least as far as Wes Anderson himself is concerned.