Natasha Lyonne Directs AI-Influenced Sci-Fi Film 'Uncanny Valley'

Natasha Lyonne is set to direct and star in Uncanny Valley, a new sci-fi film that will heavily incorporate artificial intelligence, both thematically and in its production. The film, co-written with Brit Marling and produced in collaboration with technologist Jaron Lanier, follows a teenage girl whose world is upended by a virtual reality game, blurring lines between physical and digital realities. Produced by Asteria, an AI-focused studio co-founded by Lyonne, the film will use Marey, an AI model developed by Moonvalley that claims to generate video using only licensed and ethically sourced creator content. This approach is presented as a response to industry concerns about AI's impact on creativity and copyright, distinguishing the project from others that utilize data scraped without permission. Public reaction has been mixed, with some expressing skepticism and concern over the use of generative AI in filmmaking, while Lyonne touts the collaboration as a groundbreaking cinematic adventure. The production timeline and distribution platform for Uncanny Valley have yet to be announced.