Skydance CEO David Ellison Envisions Making a Film 15–20 Times Using AI for Iterative Testing

Skydance CEO David Ellison has outlined an ambitious vision for AI-driven film production, suggesting that the studio could use the technology to generate multiple versions of a film — as many as 15 or 20 — to test with audiences and iteratively refine the storytelling before settling on a final cut. The approach frames AI not just as a production efficiency tool but as a fundamental rethink of how studio development and audience testing could work.

The comments position Skydance, which recently combined with Paramount and has been linked to Warner Bros. discussions, as one of Hollywood's more aggressive proponents of integrating AI into core studio operations. Whether the vision translates into practice remains to be seen, but Ellison's framing signals that major studio leadership is beginning to articulate concrete, if still speculative, workflows for generative AI in filmmaking.