Hollywood's AI Bet Isn't Paying Off

Source: Slashdot

Recent AI‑themed releases

Hollywood’s recent attempts to build entertainment around artificial intelligence have consistently underperformed or outright flopped, whether the AI is a plot device or a production tool. The horror sequel M3GAN 2.0, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, and Disney’s Tron: Ares all disappointed at the 2025 box office despite centering their narratives on AI.

Latest casualty: Mercy (January 2026)

The newest disappointment is Mercy, a crime thriller in which Chris Pratt faces an AI judge bot played by Rebecca Ferguson. One reviewer has already called it “the worst movie of 2026,” and its ticket sales have been mediocre.

AI‑generated content struggles

AI‑generated content hasn’t fared any better. Darren Aronofsky executive‑produced On This Day…1776, a YouTube web series that uses Google DeepMind video generation alongside real voice actors to dramatize the American Revolution, received brutal viewer response—commenters mocked the uncanny faces and the fact that DeepMind rendered “America” as “Aamereedd.”

Commercials

A Taika Waititi‑directed Xfinity commercial set to air during this weekend’s Super Bowl, which de‑ages Jurassic Park stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum, has already been mocked for producing what one viewer called “melting wax figures.”