Hyped New Sci-Fi Movie Under Fire For Using Footage Of Real Tragedy: “Yikes!”-TGN

Summary

• Upcoming sci-fi film The Creator is facing backlash for using real footage from the 2020 Beirut explosion in its trailer, causing controversy and negative reactions online.

• On their “VFX Artists React” series, Corridor Crew highlights that only minor adjustments have been made to the footage for the film, expressing that using real video of the tragedy is distasteful.

• The Beirut explosion resulted in 218 deaths and 7,000 injuries as well as billions worth of property damage. Nobody involved with the production has yet commented on the discovery.

Disney’s upcoming science-fiction movie The Creator has come under fire after an eagle-eyed Reddit user spotted footage from a real-life tragedy in the film’s trailer. Directed by Gareth Edwards, the director of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Creator imagines a future in which humanity is at war with AI. The film stars John David Washington, with recent trailers promising a gritty, action-packed story in which Washington’s character, Joshua, is tasked with killing a robot child who is believed to have the ability to wipe out the human race.

Ahead of The Creator‘s release date this fall, the film has now become the subject of some controversy after Reddit’s u/BrokeBoyAdvanced noticed that the trailer seemingly uses footage from the 2020 Beirut explosion, which resulted in the deaths of 218 people. Check out the comparison below:

Further attention was drawn to the Reddit post after Corridor Crew analyzed the footage in their popular “VFX Artists React” series, highlighting that only minor adjustments were made to the footage so that it fits in the film’s science-fiction setting. The hosts criticize the decision to include the footage, with Jordan Allen and Niko Pueringer summing up their feelings by saying, “Yikes“. You can watch Corridor Crew’s discussion of the footage below (the relevant section begins at 5:18):

The reactions to the discovery on both Reddit and in the comments section on Corridor Crew’s video are generally negative, with viewers expressing that the decision to use the real footage is distasteful.

Reactions To The Creator’s Controversial Trailer Explained

Reddit’s u/whatthef4ce simply replies “uh oh” to the discovery while u/HurricaneHarvey7 actually says they will be boycotting the film altogether. While not everyone in the comments on YouTube and Reddit say they will be boycotting The Creator, the general sentiment seems to be that the decision to include the real-life footage is remarkably insensitive and morally questionable at best.

The Beirut explosion occurred on August 4, 2020, with a blast originating in the Port of Beirut. The explosion, of which video footage is readily available online, caused an estimated $15 billion USD worth of property damage and, in addition to the 218 killed, resulted in over 7,000 injuries. Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese citizens were left homeless by the disaster.

Numerous VFX houses were contracted to work on The Creator, including Industrial Light & Magic, Folks VFX, Outpost VFX, VFX Los Angeles, and Misc Studios, among others. It’s currently unclear which vendor is responsible for the controversial shot in The Creator‘s trailer, and nobody involved in the production or from Disney has yet commented on the discovery.

Source: u/BrokeBoyAdvanced/ Reddit, Corridor Crew/ YouTube

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