The cinema’s decision to cancel the premiere of 'The Last Screenwriter' has been met with praise by fans, as the use of AI within the entertainment industry remains a thorny topic. London’s cult Prince Charles Cinema, known for its arthouse screenings, eccentric line-ups and midnight marathons, has long been a staple for cinephiles and genre fanatics. However, the beloved venue found itself at the centre of a backlash regarding the planned world premiere, on Sunday 23 June, of a film titled .
Too gory? Nope. Too raunchy? Wrong again. *Gasp* Not starring Vin Diesel, surely? No, everyone’s safe.
The backlash is regarding concerns that AI is replacing writers, as is marketed as the “first feature film written entirely by AI”. In a statement shared to Instagram, the cinema said: “To all of you, yesterday we posted about a private hire event taking place this coming weekend which featured a project whose script had been written by AI. The client informed the private hire team that this was an ‘experiment in filmmaking’ by a filmmaker hoping to engage in the discussion about AI and its negative impact on the arts.
The film’s content reflected this, so the hire team took the booking.” It continued: “The feedback we received over the last 24hrs once we advertised the film has highlighted the strong concern held by many of our audience on the use of AI in place of a writer which speaks to a wider issue within the industry. As a result of this, we have decided NOT.
