Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle confirmed the use of approximately 30 seconds of generative artificial intelligence to animate archival photographs and insert digital mice into his Venice Film Festival opening movie Ink, which charts the rise of Britain’s The Sun newspaper in the 1970s.
Danny Boyle Confirms Generative AI Use in Festival-Opening Film Ink
Director Danny Boyle has confirmed the use of AI in his new film Ink, which opened the 83rd Venice Film Festival before screening at Telluride. The Oscar winner revealed that the production incorporated a brief window of generative technology.
Drama and Casting Behind the Portrayal of Rupert Murdoch and Larry Lamb
Adapted from James Graham’s acclaimed stage play, Ink chronicles media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s acquisition of Britain’s The Sun in 1969. The film details how editor Larry Lamb transformed a failing publication into a bestselling one after Murdoch poached him from the Daily Mirror.
The feature stars Jack O’Connell, Guy Pearce, and Claire Foy. Pearce portrays Murdoch, while O’Connell takes on the role of Lamb. Pearce revealed during festival press events that Murdoch’s daughter, Elisabeth, told him her father was very happy that you are playing him,
even though Murdoch had not yet viewed the finished motion picture at that time.
Festival director Alberto Barbera noted that the opening-night picture, backed by Studiocanal and Netflix, received a five-minute standing ovation in Venice. The film currently holds an 85% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes ahead of its theatrical launch in December and subsequent Netflix release in January.
Industry Warnings Over the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Journalism
While utilizing a minimal amount of generative technology for visual texture, Boyle used his festival appearances to voice concerns regarding the broader threats AI poses to media workers. He argued that the ethical deployment of such tools requires respectful use and fair compensation.
“It doesn’t really matter what I think about AI. It matters what 20-year-olds think about it. Is the honest truth. My opinion of it is that it’s a very useful tool in many ways, provided you use it respectfully and provided you pay actors if you’re going to replace them with some kind of AI embodiment.”
Speaking at the Venice press conference, Boyle expanded his critique beyond cinematic performance into the fourth estate, warning that tech giants developing efficient automated systems could ultimately replace journalism.
“The danger with the tech giants and their AI is that they will be able to replace journalism. They’ll be able to have an AI journalist who’s much more efficient, cheaper, etcetera, ecetera, and will that AI journalist speak truth to the power that created it?”
Geopolitics and Industry Realities at the 83rd Venice Film Festival
Boyle’s commentary on technological disruption aligned with broader thematic concerns raised across the opening days of the 83rd Venice Film Festival. Festival leadership emphasized that the 11-day program leans heavily into contemporary geopolitical struggles and institutional crises rather than traditional Hollywood escapism.
Jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal addressed the prevalence of politically charged documentaries and dramas in the lineup, noting that films dealing with global emergencies are fundamentally, unavoidably political.
Alberto Barbera echoed this perspective, explaining that the selection committee prioritized projects addressing modern societal challenges to foster public confrontation and debate.
Amid discussions of studio mergers, corporate ownership of major publications, and the accelerating integration of machine learning into creative fields, Ink stands as a look at the aggressive tabloid journalism of the 1970s and a lightning rod for contemporary debates over the future of human labor in the arts.
