A question about why a major film used large groups of extras has focused attention on its production choices.
The upcoming film "Marty Supreme" relied on scenes using more than 150 human extras, "Shark Tank" investor Kevin O'Leary told The Hill in a recent interview, as he questioned why independent studio A24 did not use artificial intelligence agents instead.
The film stars Oscar-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet and features O'Leary in a supporting role. A24 has promoted the movie as one of its major upcoming releases.
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"Almost every scene had as many as 150 extras," O'Leary said. "Why couldn't you simply just put AI agents in their place?" Production details for "Marty Supreme" are drawing interest because of its scale and creative choices.
A24 spent about $12 million to film segments of the movie in New Jersey, according to NJ.com. The reported figure shows the scale of the location work involved. Many early A24 films were produced with modest budgets, including "Moonlight," which won the 2016 Oscar for Best Picture and cost about $1.5 million to make, according to The Numbers.
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Hollywood Continues To Debate AI's Role
The interview followed recent statements from labor groups about digital tools in entertainment. The Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists said in September it "believes creativity is, and should remain, human-centered," adding that it opposes replacing performers with "synthetics."
The statement addressed how AI-generated individuals might appear in future productions, including crowd scenes and background roles.
In a separate development, the union's November 2023 collective-bargaining agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers established rules governing digital replicas, requiring consent and compensation when a performer's image is reused. The provisions define how replicated or synthetic work is handled under those terms.
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Discussions Move Toward Production Choices
O'Leary also compared the film's spending with what he believed could have been achieved using digital agents. "That same director, instead of spending $90 million or whatever he spent, could've spent $35 million and made two movies," he told The Hill.
Meanwhile, Simu Liu, known for starring in "Shang‑Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," responded to O'Leary's remarks. Liu told Deadline last month that replacing background actors with AI "is so antithetical to my development as an actor" and added that "art is art because it's human."
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