Pedro Pascal’s upcoming Gladiator sequel allegedly used AI models of extras without permission

The use of AI is already a controversial topic, especially in the entertainment industry. Both WGA and SAG-AFTRA are strictly against it, as this is one of the main topics that the union workers are fighting against. However, while the SAG-AFTRA strikes are still going on, one of the major productions has allegedly dabbled in the dark world of AI. The upcoming Gladiator film has reportedly tricked its extras, using scanned copies of them as AI models.

Gladiator sequel allegedly scanned extras without their consent

Despite a huge strike currently going on that also focuses on eradicating the use of AI, the Gladiator production allegedly used it to scan their extras. According to the Times of Malta (via Collider), an extra claimed, “They didn’t explain why they were doing this, we thought they were taking us to do another scene.” Additional extras asserted that they had no say over the situation; one extra put it this way: they “didn’t really feel like we could say no.”

Production officials reportedly informed extras that their likenesses would be used in background shots, especially in large-scale arena scenes, according to a report published in the Times of Malta. “Staff told us, ‘We will use this to fill in gaps in the crowd,’” asserted an anonymous extra. An additional extra informed the Times that their image would supposedly be projected onto the Colosseum’s crowds.

Final talks for Pedro Pascal to appear in Gladiator 2 are underway

Pedro Pascal, star of Game of Thrones and The Last of Us, has reportedly been cast in an unspecified role in Paramount’s untitled Gladiator sequel, according to a Deadline source. The first movie was a DreamWorks and Universal co-production. DreamWorks will not, however, be a part of the follow-up, though Universal retains the option to work with them once the project is finished.

Pedro Pascal is in solidarity with SAG-AFTRA

Pascal is an ardent supporter of the SAG-AFTRA strike, often seen in the picket lines carrying slogan boards. A release form authorizing the “reproduction, exhibition, transmission, broadcast and exploitation” of on-set extras is purportedly obtained by The Times of Malta from Paramount.

This form, which is fairly standard in the industry, also gave producers permission to “record,” “photograph,” “reproduce,” and “simulate” the likeness of an extra “in any manner whatsoever” for Gladiator 2. Notably, consenting to the use of AI likenesses in future projects is not granted by this form. It will be interesting to see how this plays out especially when a lot of actors are standing with SAG-AFTRA.

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