
Though the original film by John Alan Schwartz came out 48 years ago, its core idea feels incredibly relevant today. We’re all constantly bombarded with strange and often unsettling AI-generated content online, much like the film’s premise. The original was a notoriously violent horror movie, so extreme it was banned in dozens of countries – a fact that became a brilliant marketing slogan: “banned in 46 countries.” By establishing the original film as part of the story, the writers, Isa Mazzei and Goldhaber, have given themselves a lot of creative freedom. Back in 2023, when the reboot was announced, Mazzei and Goldhaber shared some interesting thoughts about their approach.