A24 has recently unveiled a set of striking new posters promoting its highly acclaimed film, Civil War. The promotional art features post-apocalyptic scenes set in major U.S. cities devastated by war, including a blackened Las Vegas, a floating gun unit near Los Angeles, troops in San Francisco, a ruined Miami street, and refugee-filled tour boats on the Chicago River. These images, however, do not actually appear in the movie, raising concerns among viewers about potential misrepresentation.
Civil War, with a production budget of approximately $50 million, is A24’s most expensive project to date. Yet, the promotional campaign, created using artificial intelligence, has sparked controversy for potentially misleading audiences with visuals that suggest a much higher production value than the film actually possesses. Viewers have expressed confusion and disappointment, with one social media user commenting, ‘U are selling a movie that doesn’t exist, and it’s very bizarre.’
Furthermore, the AI-generated images have drawn criticism for inaccuracies, such as geographical errors and oddities in landmark depictions. For example, the artwork shows the Marina Towers in Chicago on opposite sides of the river, a car with three doors in a Miami wreckage scene, and a questionable representation of a paddleboat in a Los Angeles lake. Some viewers have voiced strong opposition to the use of AI-generated content in film marketing, citing previous backlash against similar tactics in the industry.
As discussions around the controversial promotional campaign continue to unfold, A24 faces scrutiny over the potential impact of these AI-generated ‘Civil War’ ads on audience expectations and perceptions of the film. Stay tuned for updates on this developing story.