Mike Mignola, the creator of the iconic comic book character Hellboy, has expressed his displeasure upon learning from intenet fans that the upcoming Hellboy film by Millennium Media used artificial intelligence (AI) for character designs. The news came to light when Jonathan Yunger, president of Millennium Films, mentioned the use of AI in creature designs during productions.
Mignola, who has been closely associated with the Hellboy franchise since its inception, took to social media to express his disappointment, stating, “I knew nothing about this … just finding out now … not happy about it.” This revelation sparked a debate on social media about the use of AI in the creative process and its potential impact on the integrity of the source material.
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The upcoming film, titled “Hellboy: The Crooked Man,” is set to be the first in a potential series of films by Millennium Media; starring Jack Kesy in the titular role. The project, which began production in April 2023 in Bulgaria, is directed by Brian Taylor and features a script co-written by Mignola and frequent collaborator Christopher Golden. The story is based on the 2008 comic miniseries of the same name and aims to depict a younger, wandering version of Hellboy with a folk horror influence.
In a panel interview, Millennium Media president Jonathan Yunger was enthusiastic about the possibilities for AI in filmmaking while speaking to the Berlin International Film Festival.
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“I wasn’t a fan of AI,” Yunger said, but after shooting a demon character, for what fans perceived was the upcoming Hellboy, that didn’t look great, he turned to AI to come up with a new design. “I was able to make 3000 creature designs in an hour. So now I can start to cherry-pick and edit those and then send it to visual effects.
[And] that’s why I think it’s important for places like film schools to start to learn how to use these tools and these new technologies to further storytelling. The emotion of a human being will never be replaced“
Mignola’s involvement in the project had been a source of excitement for fans, as his unique vision and storytelling have been integral to the success of the Hellboy franchise. However, the rumors that AI was used in the character design process without his knowledge has raised concerns about the creative direction of the film and its faithfulness to the original source material.
A plethora of attacks against the movie came from angry and disappointed fans of Mignola’s work.
However, despite angry fans and algorithm mining, the usage of AI in the new Hellboy film may not be entirely accurate.
Director Brian Taylor went on social media to quell some of the AI talk; as the story unfolded. It may have been that the Millennium Media president may have been misquoted and the AI production might have been meant for a film called “The Offering”:
“to be clear: there is exactly *ZERO* AI used on hellboy: the crooked man. both characters – hellboy and the crooked man – were created and shot 100% gloriously practical, as the movie gods intended, with no cgi enhancement… and look AMAZING.”
He went on in another Tweet, “he was misquoted, my man. the comment was referring to a different film, THE OFFERING. rest assured there is zero AI used on HBTCM and our gloriously practical hellboy looks phenomenal. probably the article was written by AI…”
The use of AI in filmmaking has been a topic of growing interest, with proponents arguing that it can streamline the creative process and provide new avenues for exploration. However, critics have raised concerns about the potential for AI to dilute the artistic vision of creators and lead to a homogenization of content.
As the debate surrounding the use of AI in the Hellboy film continues, it remains to be seen how Mignola’s concerns will be addressed by Millennium Media and the film’s creative team. As the film industry continues to evolve and embrace new technologies, the use of AI in the creative process is likely to remain a topic of debate. While some see it as a tool for innovation and efficiency, others, like Mignola, may view it as a potential threat to the integrity of their work.
As the Hellboy film moves forward, it will be interesting to see how this conversation develops and what impact it may have on the future of the franchise and the broader film industry.
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These Cancel Pigs hate AI because it will do a better Job than their Horrid Work.