EXCLUSIVE: Why Hollywood Stars Are Set to Make Billions From AI — After Faked ‘Industry-Ending’ Tom Cruise ‘Acting’ Video Goes Viral
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Publish Date: 2026-02-28 17:20:00
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AI may soon be taking over Hollywood.wwwyoumarkit/YOUTUBE
Matthew McConaughey has warned Hollywood must stop trying to “deny” artificial intelligence, as a viral fake video of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt appearing to grapple on a rooftop sends shockwaves through the movie business, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Oscar-winning actor, 56, spoke at Variety and CNN’s town hall event in Texas, where he appeared alongside Timothée Chalamet, 30, to discuss how AI is reshaping film.
‘It’s Already Here’
A viral AI video showed hyper-realistic versions of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.wwwyoumarkit/YOUTUBE; MEGA
His remarks come as an AI-generated clip created using Seedance 2.0 – a tool developed by Beijing-based ByteDance – circulates online showing hyper-realistic versions of Cruise, 63, and Pitt, 62, in a stylized fight scene about Jeffrey Epstein.
The short film, generated from a “two-line prompt,” has intensified fears AI could replicate the likenesses of major stars without consent, threatening livelihoods across the industry. McConaughey made clear he believes resistance to such developments is futile.
He said: “It’s coming. It’s already here. Don’t deny it. It’s not going to be enough to sit on the sidelines and make the moral plea that, ‘No, this is wrong.’ It’s not gonna last. There’s too much money to be made, and it’s too productive.
“So I say, ‘Own yourself. Voice, likeness, et cetera. Trademark it. Whatever you gotta do, so when it comes, no one can steal you.'”
Explaining the implications to Chalamet, McConaughey added: “They gotta come to you and go, ‘Timothée, I’d like you to be at my 50th birthday party in five months, and I’m gonna be in the Bahamas. I know you can’t be there in person, but I’m gonna halo you in, and I want you as your character in Marty Supreme.’ “
“They can do that, but they’re gonna have to come to you to go, ‘Can I?’ Or they’re going to be in breach. And you’ll have the chance to be your own agency and go, ‘Yeah, for this amount.’ Or, ‘No.'”
