AI to create blockbuster film on Spanish conquistador Cortés

A new film project aims to bring the epic story of Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés to the screen, leveraging artificial intelligence to overcome the previously prohibitive costs of production.

The 25-year-old producer Cecilia Shen, through her AI production company Utopai Studios, is spearheading the creation of "Cortés." The film will depict the 16th-century conquest of the Aztec empire and Cortés' subsequent journey through Central America. A script by U.S. author Nick Kazan has long existed, but the expense of recreating the Aztec capital Tenochtitlán, the ceremony with Aztec King Moctezuma, elaborate costumes, set design, and complex film effects had deterred studios.

Set for release next year as a two-part film, "Cortés" will utilize AI extensively. While real actors are still part of the cast, significant portions of the movie will be generated digitally using artificial intelligence, rather than traditional filming methods. This innovative approach promises to make the ambitious historical epic accessible for production.