{
  "id": 1329329,
  "title": "BUSINESS REFLECTION: Crossed Wires: A new kind of movie looks set to burn Hollywood",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/16/business-reflection-crossed-wires-a-new-kind-of-movie-looks-set-to",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-16T19:08:50.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Maverick",
    "slug": "daily-maverick",
    "url": "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-08-16-crossed-wires-a-new-kind-of-movie-looks-set-to-burn-hollywood/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A new 110-minute film, The Cully Hill Boys, has emerged as a potential harbinger of change in the Hollywood movie industry. Produced by Higgsfield in San Francisco, the film was made in just four weeks for a budget of $2 million, a stark contrast to the typical industry timeline of one to two years and budget of many tens of millions of dollars. The crew consisted of only 28 people, compared to the hundreds typically employed.\n\nThe film's success lies in the innovative filmmaking platform developed by Higgsfield, which allows filmmakers to create visual assets, such as characters, locations, and props, that can be reused throughout the production process. This shift in production methodology moves away from the traditional approach of creating independent scenes for each AI-generated clip, thus providing continuity and consistency across the film.\n\nThe film's cast is composed of AI-generated simulacra of real people, including well-known figures such as Israel Adesanya, Quinton \"Rampage\" Jackson, N3on, and Matt \"MK\" Kiatipis. These individuals signed over their likeness and voice rights to the production, allowing their digital representations to be used in the film. The AI actors are virtually indistinguishable from their real-life counterparts, making the film appear as though it were entirely filmed with traditional human talent.\n\nThe film's production and distribution model challenges the conventional Hollywood approach, as it eliminates the need for a large crew, extensive budget, and lengthy production timeline. The use of AI-generated actors and assets presents a new opportunity for individuals with existing fame to generate additional income, potentially opening up new avenues for online influencers and other recognizable figures to capitalize on their past success.",
  "summary": "A new 110-minute movie provides a glimpse of the future of films, acted by lookalikes and imaginaries, written and helmed by real and perhaps even exceptional human talent – and costing a fraction of the millions of dollars that it normally takes to make a Hollywood movie",
  "key_points": [
    "\"The Cully Hill Boys\" film made in 4 weeks for $2M budget",
    "AI-generated actors include Israel Adesanya, Quinton Rampage Jackson",
    "Production model challenges traditional Hollywood approach"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}