It looks like neither Disney’s 20th Century Studios nor director Gareth Edwards intended to include the Beirut explosion scene in The Creator movie. Footage of the real-life horrifying blast incident which claimed over 218 Lebanese’ lives was showcased in the sci-fi feature’s first official trailer, resulting in extreme backlash for its insensitive use. However, the sequence will not be in the final cut released in theaters.
With Hollywood’s AMTP, WGA & SAG-AFTRA caught in a deadlock over the use of AI in the place of human-performed duties – The Creator movie has surprisingly turned out to be the most relevant sci-fi feature of the year. Though the Rogue One director did not remotely anticipate the AI plot’s fitting appropriation to the present time, “AI seemed like a distant dream like flying cars and living on the moon” when filming the project, revealed Gareth during an AMA on r/movies subreddit.
Similarly, another element from The Creator movie that the director and studio did not anticipate and rather resulted in backlash came from the use of the tragic Beirut explosion footage. The scene in question plays out during the background narration, “They detonated a Nuclear Warhead in Los Angeles.” But it appears the brief shot was not even meant for promo use.
A Reddit user quizzed Gareth while branding its use as “pretty disturbing” and inquiring if the footage would be present in theatrical release. But the director clarified, “It was never meant to be included in the trailer and never appears in the actual movie,” said the Godzilla movie helmer. “Just by way of explanation: the reality is that archival footage is commonly used as a reference for temporary VFX.”
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It’s possible the VFX shot adapting the Beirut explosion scene was a placeholder accidentally overlooked before its public release. Nonetheless, it’s clear the VFX team used the horrifying explosion as a reference – a common practice in Hollywood.
The creator movie arrives after a 7-year hiatus from Gareth Edwards but the director confirmed he has also developed three projects in between Rogue One and Disney’s sci-fi feature. “Two of them would be regarded as IP, I can’t talk about them or they might not happen.”
The early buzz for The Creator has been overwhelmingly positive and 20th Century Studios’ clever marketing tactics have also done wonders in amplifying the movie’s reach amongst moviegoers. With talents like Hans Zimmer and Oscar-winning DOP attached to the project, the sci-fi thriller could float well at the box office, especially with this year’s anticipated futuristic epic, Dune Part Two delayed for 2024.
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The Creator movie will arrive in theaters on September 29.
