Overview
- In a Deadline interview, Liu called O’Leary’s proposal "tone deaf" and "incorrect," arguing minimum-wage background work is not why films are expensive.
- Liu, who began as a background performer on Pacific Rim, said on-set experience for newcomers is invaluable and would disappear with synthetic crowds.
- On X last week, he criticized targeting "extras making 15–22 dollars an hour" rather than higher-paid above-the-line personnel.
- O’Leary had suggested AI agents could replace hundreds of extras to "save millions" on A24’s Marty Supreme and similar productions.
- Filmmakers and workers voiced resistance online, with Guillermo del Toro saying he would "rather die" than use AI in his projects.