Black actors refused to star in this filmmaker’s movie over stereotypes. So he opted for AI performers instead
Paul Schrader, whose filmography includes co-writing “Taxi Driver” and “Raging Bull” along with directing “First Reformed,” said the actors all turned down roles because there were “no good Black people” in the film.
An Academy Award-nominated director has already made the shift to using AI-generated performers for his upcoming crime noir film. The reasoning behind it, however, has little to do with a desire to speed up filming.
Paul Schrader, whose Hollywood beginnings date back to co-writing Martin Scorsese’s early epic films such as “Taxi Driver” and “Raging Bull,” had previously explained that his upcoming movie “Three Guns At Dawn” would feature an all-AI-generated cast. Schrader then revealed he had abandoned human actors because no Black actors wanted to participate in a movie with no good Black characters.
Originally set in South Central Los Angeles, “Three Guns At Dawn” was centered around three Black brothers, each with an unsavory past. One was a corrupt cop, another was a drug dealer and the other brother was a sex criminal. “Michael” director Antoine Fuqua was slated to produce the film, but later backed out, prompting Schrader to consider an AI alternative.
“I had originally written it about three Black brothers, all of whom are bad guys: a corrupt cop, a drug dealer, and a sexual criminal,” Schrader told The Playlist earlier this month. “And they were all trying to kill each other. And Antoine Fuqua was going to produce it.”
While the film’s concept had promise, according to Schrader, selling actors on participating in it hit a roadblock due to the stereotypical nature of each character.
“We sent it out to actors, and no Black actors wanted to play in a movie where there are no good Black people,” he said. “And it sort of died. But then AI came along, and I didn’t need Black actors.”
Instead of altering the script to cast any actor, much less Black actors, Schrader is pushing through with his film as he intended. Despite acknowledging how it may look, Schrader is keen on the idea that artificial intelligence is entering more forms of entertainment, as it has already infiltrated music.
“Some people say it’s coming. Some people say it’s here. People are upset about it, and I can understand why,” he said. “Musicians are getting hit first. Then actors.”