Daniel Kwan Sounds the Alarm on AI: “Hollywood Needs Unprecedented Action—Now”

The Oscar‑winning co‑director of Everything Everywhere All at Once says the film industry is sleep‑walking into an AI takeover.

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Here’s the TL;DR…

• Daniel Kwan one half of the “Daniels” filmaking duo (responsible for Everything Everywhere All at Once and Swiss Army Man), warned a West Hollywood audience that AI poses an existential threat to filmmaking and called for “unprecedented” collective action to protect human creativity.

• His remarks expose a widening rift inside Hollywood: some see AI as a helpful tool; others, like Kwan, fear it could replace writers, artists, and entire crews.

• The debate arrives as AI already rewires script writing, VFX, and even casting—raising ethical and labor questions the industry has barely begun to answer.

Image: Vanity Fair

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A Passionate Plea in West Hollywood

Speaking at a Studio B event, Kwan told fellow filmmakers and tech thinkers he is “really terrified” of AI’s rapid advance. Citing its ability to generate scripts, storyboards, and visual effects on demand, he argued that unchecked adoption could “impair what makes movies human.”

Kwan urged studios, guilds, and creators to act together rather than piecemeal, saying only a unified front can keep artistry at the center of moviemaking.

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A House Divided over Silicon Dreams

Kwan’s comments crystallize a growing divide. Some executives champion AI for cutting costs and accelerating production. Others—including Kwan’s directing partner, Daniel Scheinert—voice cautious optimism, seeing AI as a tool if used responsibly.

The room reportedly included heavy hitters like Michael Mann and producer Jonathan Wang—evidence that Hollywood’s elite are paying close attention to the AI question.

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The Machines Have Already Arrived

A recent deep‑dive describes an industry‑wide “AI civil war,” detailing algorithms that punch up dialogue, de‑age actors, and pre‑visualize entire scenes. Tools such as OpenAI’s Sora thrill some filmmakers, but terrify others who see creative jobs on the line.

Kwan’s fear: if Hollywood rushes head‑long into automation, future blockbusters may be engineered by prompts, not passion.

Image: OpenAI

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Ethics, Labor, and the Future of Credits

Beyond artistry, Kwan flagged labor risks. Writers’ rooms could shrink, VFX houses could automate, and credit disputes could erupt when an AI model “co‑writes” a script. His call echoes recent strikes where creators demanded guardrails on machine‑generated content.

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A Rallying Cry for Collective Safeguards

Kwan insists piecemeal guidelines won’t cut it. He wants the entire entertainment ecosystem—studios, unions, tech firms—to craft iron‑clad rules before AI entrenches itself. The goal: embrace innovation without erasing the humans who define cinema.

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Sources

• The Hollywood Reporter, “Hollywood AI Battle: Filmmaker Daniel Kwan’s Action Plan,” July 29 2025

• The Hollywood Reporter, “Rise of the Machines: Inside Hollywood’s AI Civil War,” July 17 2025

• IndieWire, “‘Everything Everywhere’ Co‑Director Daniel Kwan Says He’s ‘Really Terrified’ of AI,” March 12 2024

• Wikipedia, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (background context)

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News compiled and edited by Derek Gibbs and Steven Bubbles on July 29 2025. Follow us on ClownfishTV.com for more gaming, pop‑culture, and tech news, and consider subscribing for only $5 per month to unlock exclusive podcasts and other content.