Key Points
- Gareth Edwards, director of The Creator, conceptualized the plot during a road trip where he saw a factory which triggered the idea of an AI robot’s first experience outside the factory.
- The role of Alphie, the AI robot in the form of a child, was given to young actress Madeleine Yuna Voyles who was selected from hundreds of open audition tapes.
- Emotional scenes were purposely held until later in shooting to foster a strong bond between Voyles and co-star John David Washington.
- Local actors were used for minor roles and extras according to the film locations. Eight different countries were visited to handpick scenic locations.
- Edwards creates a visual guide for nonverbal cinematic elements for each of his films, helping other team members understand his vision better.
- Disney legend Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack was distinctly crafted with Asian instruments to depart from his usual sound.
- AI in The Creator is used as a metaphor for people different from oneself, a concept that has become surreal with the advances in AI.
- While Edwards prefers his stories to be self-contained with a defined end, he’s not ruling out a potential sequel.
The Realist’s Take
So, Gareth Edwards took a twisty-turny road trip through the cornfields and bingo! We got ourselves an AI-baby-child-thingy named Alphie. This robo-kiddo was played by Madeleine Yuna Voyles who aced the audition beating hundreds of her peers, probably by being extra cute and robotic. I mean, who needs Hollywood A-listers when you can get local talents right off the streets of Nepal and Indonesia?
The movie making business is always full of surprises. Edwards, being the Picasso of cinema, made a colouring book of ideas or a “visual bible” for people who didn’t quite catch the vision – because why use words when pictures work just fine?
And our man Zimmer, he’s gone all eastern this time, trading his traditional orchestra for an Asian spice rack of instruments. The AI in the movie isn’t just for funky wireframe stuff, it’s a deeply metaphorical representation of people different from us. Who knew Hollywood could get so deep, huh?
Lastly, Edwards is of the “one-and-done” school of thought when it comes to sequels, much like eating extremely spicy food – great in the moment, not so much in the after-effects. But who knows? Hollywood execs and their love for sequels might mean we see Alphie 2.0 coming to a screen near you sooner rather than later.
https://d23.com/8-fascinating-facts-about-the-making-of-the-creator/
