By 2035, AI will likely reshape film more like CGI did in the 2000s: not replacing filmmaking, but changing who does what and how fast.

1) Deepfakes → “Digital Performance” becomes standard

• Mainstream use: de-aging, voice matching, dubbing, stunt replacement, and continuity fixes will be common in post-production.
• Localization revolution: films will be lip-synced and voice-adapted for each market, making “native-language” releases globally normal.
• Big legal shift: studios will need explicit likeness and voice rights contracts (for living and deceased performers).
• Trust layer: audiences and platforms will demand watermarking/authenticity labels to distinguish artistic VFX from deceptive manipulation.

2) AI actors → new talent category, not full human replacement

• We’ll see licensed digital actors (real performers with scan/voice rights) and fully synthetic characters for certain genres (animation-like hybrids, games-to-film crossovers, virtual influencers).
• Background and minor roles may be heavily automated, reducing some entry-level on-set jobs.
• But top-tier films will still market human stars as a premium authenticity signal.
• Expect new unions/roles: digital double supervisors, AI performance directors, likeness-rights agents.

3) Script generation → acceleration of development, not autonomous auteurs

• AI will be heavily used for:
  • loglines, outlines, alternate scenes/endings,
  • franchise continuity checks,
  • audience testing simulation,
  • fast adaptation drafts.
• Studios will use AI to reduce development risk, potentially increasing formulaic storytelling in mainstream content.
• Countertrend: human-written “AI-free” films become a prestige niche, similar to “shot on film” branding today.
• Writers’ roles shift toward editorial control, voice, and taste—curating and rewriting machine drafts.

4) Industry structure by 2035

• More content, lower mid-budget barriers: indie creators gain blockbuster-like tools.
• Greater concentration at the top: major studios with proprietary models/data gain advantage.
• Contract law becomes central: training-data rights, residuals for synthetic reuse, and consent management.
• Global production becomes more fluid: smaller teams can produce high-quality films across borders.

5) Likely outcome

By 2035, the winning model is probably human-led, AI-accelerated filmmaking:

• AI handles repetition, iteration, and technical polish.
• Humans remain central for performance credibility, original voice, cultural judgment, and brand trust.

So the biggest change won’t be “AI replaces cinema.” It’ll be: cinema becomes faster, cheaper, more customizable—and more legally and ethically regulated.