Whether we like it or not, AI seems set on taking over Hollywood. We’ve seen more and more movies and TV shows using AI, including entirely AI-generated “actors” like Tilly Norwood. How far will it go? It’s hard to say, but it’s not stopping anytime soon. Deadline reports that David Barron, a British producer with credits on six Harry Potter movies, is set to produce an AI adaptation of The Call of the Wild, the classic novel written by Jack London.
Simon Rumley (Red White & Blue) is writing and directing The Call of the Wild, which will be generated at nmatic. CGI and traditional VFX will be used to handle more complex scenes, but it seems AI will be very prominent. The project is being billed as “the first faithful adaptation of London’s novel because it will be made from Buck’s subjective experience.“
The story follows Buck, a St. Bernard/Scotch Shepherd mix who is stolen from his home and sold to a stranger to be trained as a sled dog in Alaska. Throughout the novel, he becomes more primative and wild in the harsh environment where he’s forced to fight to survive and dominate the other dogs.
“London’s canvass is so epic, the Alaskan geography so gruelling, the dog and wolf fights so visceral that a faithful cinematic adaptation has hitherto been logistically and financially impossible,” said Barron in a statement. “But technology has finally caught up with London’s vision, and we believe now is the time to do justice.“
London’s novel has been adapted many times, with the most recent adaptation released in 2020. That film starred Harrison Ford as John Thornton, an experienced frontiersman who befriends Buck in the wilderness. Instead of using a real dog, the film went the photorealistic CG route with Buck, which wasn’t always convincing.
We liked the film, for the most part. “There’s adventure, but the stakes are not cataclysmic, and it’s all about driving home themes about reconnecting with nature after living so far detached from it – and all through the perspective of a dog,” wrote Matt Rooney in his review for JoBlo. “There’s so much explosiveness aimed at moviegoers today, The Call of the Wild offers sheer old-school thrills and pure sense of heart that anyone can fall in love with, and recalls a nostalgic sense of wonder in the natural world, all delivered in ways that don’t feel cheap or cloying (but if a little digitally bloated).“
Unfortunately, The Call of the Wild‘s release was cut short due to the pandemic, and as a result, it grossed just $111 million worldwide and ultimately proved to be a costly money-loser for the studio.
Are you willing to give an AI-generated version of The Call of the Wild a chance?