THE CREATOR opens September 29th

In recent years, technology has advanced enough that entire stories are being written and artwork is being crafted by machines, making the sort of future that James Cameron envisioned in the TERMINATOR franchise or the BLADE RUNNER movies predicted seem not so far away. Yet, amid these more cautionary, dystopian tales, it might be about time that we see a film with a more comparatively hopeful outlook on the future of A.I., such as in THE CREATOR.

Make no mistake, this upcoming sci-fi thriller – which 20th Century Studios teased at CinemaCon 2023 to an impressed audience – is, undoubtedly, going to be a dark dystopian epic. Yet, it has the potential to stand out among much of the rest of the wide-scope action flicks in that category by telling a more in-depth, personal story that might not necessarily change your mind about the boundaries we are pushing with A.I. lately, but could just warm your heart. Before it hits AMC Theatres on September 29, 2023, take a look at all the basic facts that we can tell you about THE CREATOR below.

A Sci-Fi Thriller About A.I. And Humanity

According to the announcement that revealed the new trailer from The Walt Disney Company, THE CREATOR takes place in a futuristic society torn apart by a war between human beings and the artificial intelligence program that was initially created with intent to protect the human race before seemingly turning its back on them. As the conflict has reached its peak and the humans are closer to winning than ever before, one soldier named Joshua makes a startling discovery that immediately changes his entire perspective on the cause he had sworn to fight for.

The artificially intelligent designer of the weapon he was assigned to destroy turns out to be a child – still a machine, but one that resembles a very young girl. Suddenly in the position of being the only family this A.I. has ever known and the only family he has had in years, Joshua has a new objective to act as her protector no matter what cost in this thriller that Tony Gilroy – co-writer of ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY and creator of Disney+’s “Andor” – described at CinemaCon as an epic, heartfelt war story.

John David Washington Leads

Starring in THE CREATOR as Joshua is John David Washington, who has followed in the footsteps of his Academy AwardⓇ winning father, Denzel, by becoming one of Hollywood’s most esteemed leading men – playing the “Protagonist” in Christopher Nolan’s TENET and one of the central characters in David O. Russell’s star-studded AMSTERDAM – since giving a star-making performance in Spike Lee’s BLACKKKLANSMAN from 2018. Making her acting debut as the child-like A.I. that Joshua becomes a father figure for, we have Madeleine Yuna Voyles.

Also featured in the CREATOR cast is Marvel’s ETERNALS star Gemma Chan, Academy Award winner Alison Janney, and Country music star Sturgill Simpson, who previously played a guitar-wielding zombie in THE DEAD DON’T DIE and can also be seen in Martin Scorsese’s upcoming fact-based crime drama, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON. Ken Watanabe also stars as a fellow A.I. in the film that reunites him with the director and a Deadline article reported Marc Menchaca from Netflix’s “Ozark” is also on the cast.

Directed By Gareth Edwards

THE CREATOR is the brainchild of Gareth Edwards, who also directs the film and co-wrote the screenplay with Chris Weitz, who was also one of the scribes for his last directorial effort – the aforementioned ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY.

Gareth Edwards first broke out in 2010 with his acclaimed feature-length film debut, MONSTERS – another dystopian tale that takes place in an Earth overrun with dangerous extraterrestrial creatures. That sleeper hit earned him the chance to reboot the most iconic monster movie franchise of all time with 2014’s GODZILLA, which was also his first collaboration with Ken Watanabe.

Watch The Trailer

When the trailer for THE CREATOR was first revealed exclusively at CinemaCon – at which point the film also changed its name from the working title, “TRUE LOVE” – it introduced the crowd to a new world of stunning design, but also heartbreaking tragedy, seemingly being the result of a unstoppable tech. However, it appears that the solution to humanity’s strife is a little more complicated than they assumed, as the teaser goes on to reveal. Check out the clip for yourself below:

Set to a haunting remix of Aerosmith’s “Dream On,” the trailer for THE CREATOR shows us the beginning of humanity’s war against the machines before hinting that the end could be near if Washington’s Joshua is able to make the challenging choice to “execute” the “weapon” he has befriended. It is hard not to feel sorry for the artificial child and her predicament, especially in the opening scene when she discusses with Joshua their inability to go to Heaven – him for being a “bad person” and her for not being a person at all. The thought-provoking commentary on what makes somebody worth saving – even if they are not human – the extraordinary aesthetic, and exciting futuristic combat action make this thriller look like a hot ticket for sci-fi fans.

It is nice to see Gareth Edwards return to the sci-fi genre with something that appears to be more personal and inventive. See for yourself when THE CREATOR comes to an AMC Theatres location near you this fall!

THE CREATOR opens September 29th