A hyper-realistic AI video showing Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in a brutal rooftop fight is rattling Hollywood—and one top screenwriter says it may signal something far bigger.
The 15-second clip, created using generative AI tools and shared by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ruairi Robinson, quickly went viral for how convincingly it depicted the two megastars trading punches. There was no actual production, no stunt team, no studio backing—just a prompt and a computer.
That alone was enough to unnerve Rhett Reese, the writer behind Deadpool & Wolverine and Zombieland.
After seeing the video, Reese posted a blunt reaction on X: “I hate to say it, but it’s likely over for us.”
When some users brushed off the clip as rough around the edges, Reese doubled down. He warned that what looks impressive now could soon become indistinguishable from big-budget studio output. In his view, it is only a matter of time before someone with real storytelling talent harnesses these tools at a much higher level.
He made clear he is not celebrating the technology. Instead, he described feeling deeply unsettled by it. Reese said many creatives are already anxious about their livelihoods, and he sees AI as a potential industry disruptor that could reshape Hollywood entirely.
Robinson later revealed that the Cruise-versus-Pitt showdown was generated from a simple two-line prompt, further fueling concern about how accessible these tools have become.
Reese also pointed out the irony that Hollywood has long been a difficult industry to break into, often requiring connections and financial backing. With AI, he suggested, someone outside the system could potentially create studio-level visuals from a laptop. In his view, that could either democratize filmmaking—or upend it.
As AI technology rapidly improves, the debate is intensifying. For some, it represents a creative revolution. For others, it feels like an existential threat.
If a 15-second clip can spark this much panic, Hollywood may just be bracing for a much bigger reckoning.
