Christopher Nolan says Gen Z rejects AI ‘slop’ as film industry shifts to practical effects

Director Christopher Nolan, promoting his upcoming 70 mm IMAX film The Odyssey, criticized generative AI in filmmaking, calling it “AI slop.” He said young audiences are “utterly rejecting” AI‑generated content, noting a “rapid wholesale dismissal” by his own teenage children and Gen Z viewers. Nolan highlighted the success of low‑budget horror titles such as Obsession (directed by Curry Barker) and Backrooms (directed by Kane Parsons), which rely on practical sets and effects, as proof that audiences are turning back to tactile, realistic storytelling. He argued AI is arriving at “exactly the wrong time” for cinema, even while acknowledging some useful imaging tools. Nolan also praised the new generation of filmmakers, saying “cinema is vital and essential… we’ve got all these great new young voices in movies, making the medium our own and moving it forward.” The Odyssey, featuring a 60‑foot Cyclops puppet and a cast led by Matt Damon, opens globally in mid‑July 2026.