Nothing I Love More Than Movies

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Natasha Lyonne was surrounded by a throng of reporters eager for her attention during the second season premiere of Peacock’s Poker Face in Hollywood on Thursday night. As a multi-talented actress who contributes to the critically acclaimed comedy series as a writer, director, star, and executive producer, she didn’t have much time to spare before being called to the American Legion Post 43 stage to introduce the screening alongside her co-conspirator Rian Johnson.

As a gamer, I can share my experience: She made a surprising move, stepping onto the stage to share her thoughts, then graciously returning to the red carpet where she gave each reporter her full focus. After expressing her excitement for the upcoming season due to an outstanding roster of big-name guest stars, The Hollywood Reporter inquired about another venture on the horizon – an AI-driven film titled “Uncanny Valley.

The news about the project surfaced two days prior to the release of Poker Face, causing quite a commotion. According to THR, Jena Malone, who is also known as Natasha Lyonne, will be making her directorial debut in film-making with this project. The movie’s script was co-written by Brit Marling and both are expected to star in it. As per the reports, Uncanny Valley is set in a world of advanced video games, seamlessly blending real-life action with game elements. The story revolves around a teenager named Mila who loses her bearings due to an extremely popular augmented reality (AR) video game that exists parallel to the present day. The project, designed to provide a “revolutionary cinematic experience,” as stated by an Asteria representative, has technology innovator Jaron Lanier, AI-based studio Asteria (founded by Lyonne and her partner Bryn Mooser), and Moonvalley as its partners.

It became clear that the excitement about the project had reached Lyonne, who was prompt to defend it during her tenure at THR. “Naturally, the film will be shot like a traditional movie,” she clarified. ” frankly, I’m considering shooting it on 35 [mm] or something similar just to drive the point home because we’re using real-life cinematographers and production designers, among others,” she added. “I’m a true cinephile. Movies are what I adore most. Cinema is my very essence that flows through my veins. I love nothing more than filmmaking, the film industry, the camaraderie it brings, the hands-on artistic craftsmanship of it. I cherish every aspect of it – it’s truly remarkable. I understand its language, in a sense, even when the rest of the world seems incomprehensible. In no way would I ever want to engage in anything other than creating guidelines or a new dialect for this art form.

The guardrails she mentioned pertain to the usage of our proprietary AI model, “Marey,” at Moonvalley. Unlike many popular industry competitors, Marey is constructed using copyright-cleared data.

Lyonne, along with Bryn Mooser, established a new studio called Asteria. We’ve discovered exceptional engineers at Moonvalley who are interested in our concept. The question they’re asking is: why are models like Runway and OpenAI always dirty or problematic? Why do they seem to be built on stolen data? It’s an issue, Lyonne pointed out. What sets Marey apart is that it’s the first foundational model with a copyrighted license, allowing creators to collaborate with their concept artists and storyboard artists, constructing unique worlds together.

Later on, Lyonne commended her associates Marling and Lanier. She referred to Lanier as “a real power player in this field” and a “thoughtful, principled individual.” She went on to say: “We’re beginning to discover some guidelines for interaction and are starting to see that there might be a method to safeguard artistic freedom, creating a space where we can continue doing what we love most.

Regarding the bond she shared, Lyonne reminisced about her relationship with the renowned filmmaker Nora Ephron. “She served as a guiding figure in my life – we spent many hours playing poker together, and she’d say things like, ‘Avoid being a female filmmaker. You’re only allowed one mistake, and they won’t let you work again.’ Though her words weren’t always accurate, given her numerous successes, they provided an insight into the limited opportunities that exist. I view this [AI] as a chance to create action-packed sequences similar to those in the ‘Avengers’, which primarily involve green screen and CGI. That’s mostly what AI will be utilized for, and that’s what the term ‘hybrid’ represents here.

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2025-05-05 22:55