AI in Film by 2035: A Measured Forecast

Likely Developments

Production efficiency

• AI will probably handle routine tasks: color correction, continuity checking, rough cuts, and visual effects cleanup
• Budget films may access effects previously requiring major studio resources
• Pre-visualization will become faster and more sophisticated

Script and development

• AI tools will likely assist with dialogue polish, plot hole detection, and adaptation work
• First drafts or genre-specific content (procedurals, formulaic content) may be increasingly AI-assisted
• Human writers will probably remain essential for originality, cultural nuance, and emotional authenticity

Digital performers

• De-aging and posthumous appearances will become more seamless
• Background actors and stunt doubles may be increasingly digital
• Fully AI-generated lead performances remain uncertain—audiences may resist or embrace them unpredictably

Genuine Uncertainties

I'd be cautious about confident predictions here:

• Audience reception is hard to forecast—will people pay for AI-generated content?
• Labor negotiations (ongoing now) will shape what's permitted
• Legal frameworks around likeness rights remain unsettled
• Uncanny valley problems may persist longer than technologists expect

What I'd Watch For

The bigger question may be whether AI enables more diverse voices with lower barriers, or concentrates power further among those controlling the tools.

What aspect interests you most?