Late Night With The Devil AI Controversy Gets Explained By Creators

By Britta DeVore | Published

2024 is setting itself up to be yet another terrific year for horror movies, but one of those titles is on the tip of everyone’s tongue for the wrong reason. The David Dastmalchian-led Late Night with the Devil has found itself in water hot enough for Beezlebub himself after it came out that the production team had used AI-generated imagery. And now, the movie’s co-writers and co-directors, brotherly duo Cameron and Colin Cairnes have confirmed that the rumors are true and that the film does use AI in some parts.

AI Crafted Still Images For Late Night With The Devil

In a statement dropped by the creative team to better explain what happened on Late Night with the Devil to drive them to go down the artificial intelligence route, the pair said that their “amazing graphics and production design team… worked tirelessly to give this film the 70s aesthetic we had always imagined.” They went on to explain that, while most of the designs were done by very much alive and capable humans, there are “three still images” that were forged by AI. 

Further explaining their decision to go down this controversial path, the Cairnes said that the images underwent more editing from their team and are only on the screen for “brief” periods. They tied up their message to potential audiences and all those concerned with AI’s place in the entertainment industry with a hearty thank you to all those involved with the film and shared their excitement for Late Night with the Devil’s opening weekend.

AI Is A Major Problem In Hollywood

Late Night with the Devil’s AI snafu couldn’t have come at a worse time, as the conversation surrounding the troubling technology’s involvement in the entertainment business has been a hot-button topic as of late. Specifically, awareness became more mainstream than ever during last year’s writers’ and actors’ strikes, with both unions pushing for better control over the use of artificial intelligence.

With studios threatening to make jobs for background actors obsolete and hampering the creative and raw process for writers and artists, this was an absolutely terrible time for Late Night with the Devil to be caught red-handed with AI-fashioned images.

Early Reviews All Praise The Film

Despite the pushback, Late Night with the Devil is already receiving rave reviews from those who were lucky enough to catch an early screening ahead of its release over the weekend. The found footage horror film has been said to be a refreshing take on the genre, giving audiences something they haven’t seen in a long time. 

David Dastmalchian Finally Gets His Chance To Shine In A Lead Role

David Dastmalchian (Oppenheimer, The Boogeyman) stars in Late Night with the Devil as Jack Delroy, the host of a beloved variety and late-night talk show in the 1970s who wants to give his audience the best Halloween of their lives. In this very special episode, Jack brings on a parapsychologist and the young woman she’s been studying who is the lone survivor of a Satanic church’s mass suicide. To say things go off the rails is a significant understatement as Jack and his guests further delve into a sinister darkness.

Late Night With The Devil Now In Theaters

Late Night with the Devil also features performances from Laura Gordon (Face to Face) and Ian Bliss (Wentworth). Unravel the horror and catch the AI controversy for yourself as the film is now playing in theaters, with a Shudder release date of April 19.

Source: Mashable