In recent days, a whirlwind of social media speculation surrounded the new film “Stop That Train,” starring RuPaul Charles. Claims that the movie heavily employed generative AI have been robustly refuted by the film’s director, Adam Shankman. The director has been vocal in dismissing these rumors, emphasizing the purely human effort behind the film’s creation.
“Stop That Train” director Adam Shankman has firmly addressed the social media accusations that the RuPaul Charles-starring film relied on generative AI, describing such assertions as completely unfounded.
In a recent Instagram post, Shankman stated, “Every shot in ‘Stop! That! Train!’ was made by human hands!” He added, “There are a sum total of ZERO shots conceived by AI in the movie. We employed hundreds of VFX artists who all worked tirelessly to bring this film to life, and not one job was taken out of human hands. The movie is a fully human-made piece of joy and laughter. Take it in and enjoy it, y’all! We need the laughter!”
The Controversy Explained
The director’s statement was prompted by a flurry of posts on X over the weekend, which accused the film of extensive AI use. In this comedy reminiscent of “Airplane,” RuPaul plays President Judy Gagwell, teaming up with comedians and drag queens—including “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alums Ginger Mini, Jujubee, and Brooke Lynn Hytes—on a mission to prevent the high-speed Glamazon Express train from colliding with a fictitious natural disaster called “Stormaganza.”
Some critics alleged the film was riddled with AI-generated content, as one commenter on X remarked, “RuPaul movie apparently confirmed to contain mass amounts of genAI with the top-billed VFX company literally being AI-based…a secret blessing that it isn’t playing in the UK.”
Clarifying Misunderstandings
Further fueling the speculation, some comments highlighted the involvement of Acme AI and FX, a company known for utilizing AI to streamline production processes. Acme AI, co-founded by Ryan Kavanaugh, reportedly specializes in reducing production times and costs by using a “gray box” soundstage for shooting, with AI generating the location visuals—a method used in the upcoming Doug Liman film “Bitcoin.”
A source with knowledge of the production clarified to Variety that Acme AI’s role was confined to visual effects work, and any AI used was strictly for background processes, with nothing AI-generated appearing on screen.
Background and Broader Implications
The frenzy also comes on the heels of an April “Drag Race” episode where RuPaul engaged in “painting” images of the season’s finalists, which some viewers thought resembled AI-generated artwork, igniting social media backlash. RuPaul and “Drag Race” production company World of Wonder have not commented on these accusations.
While AI technology continues to revolutionize filmmaking, Shankman’s response underscores a commitment to traditional craftsmanship and human creativity in bringing “Stop That Train” to the screen.
