Perry pauses $800M studio expansion

Filmmaker concerned AI video advance may derail traditional filmmaking.

Tyler Perry has put the kibosh on a planned $800 million expansion at his 330-acre studio in Atlanta over fears that rapid advances in video-related artificial intelligence could reduce demand for traditional filmmaking.

Last week, OpenAI unveiled its new text-to-video model Sora with sample AI-generated videos that impressed and alarmed many observers.

“Being told that it can do all of these things is one thing, but actually seeing the capabilities, it was mind-blowing,” Perry said Thursday in an extensive interview with The Hollywood Reporter. He said filmmakers may not need to do location shoots or even build out certain sets if the technology keeps improving.

Perry’s apparent pullback is notable because the prolific filmmaker not only shoots his own projects at Tyler Perry Studios at the former Fort McPherson, one of the largest filming campuses in the country, but he also reaps substantial revenue renting soundstages and backlot operations to other major studios.

In a text through his spokesman, Perry confirmed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Thursday evening that his concerns about AI have caused him to hold off

AJC FILE 2019 The entrance to Tyler Perry Studios, shown in 2019, is located on the grounds of the former Fort McPherson in Atlanta. It is now one of the largest filming campuses in the country.

Tyler Perry said AI advances will touch every corner of the filmmaking industry.