Overview
- Kevin O’Leary recently suggested on a podcast that productions should swap background performers for AI to save millions, citing his A24 film Marty Supreme and invoking the AI persona Tilly Norwood.
- Liu first pushed back on X, noting extras earn roughly $15–$22 per hour and arguing that high budgets are driven by above‑the‑line costs, not low‑paid background work.
- In a Deadline interview, he called O’Leary’s idea dumb, tone deaf, and incorrect, asserting that background actors are not the reason movies are expensive.
- Pointing to his own start as an extra on Pacific Rim, Liu said on‑set background work is an entry point where aspiring actors learn craft, and he stressed that audiences still recognize when movement lacks human authenticity.
- Industry reaction has included public support for Liu and skepticism of AI substitution, with Guillermo del Toro rejecting generative AI outright, while reports note major studios’ AI experiments have mostly stayed in marketing rather than replacing human crowds.