On April 15, 2026, TheWrap reported on a set visit for Doug Liman’s $70 million movie Bitcoin: The Killing Satoshi, starring Casey Affleck, Gal Gadot, Pete Davidson, and Isla Fisher. The film uses artificial intelligence (AI) to generate the backgrounds, sets, and lighting.
The production retains its traditional costume and props team, with 107 cast members, 100 cinematographers, and 54 non-cinematographers, and producers say the production would have cost $300 million if it had been produced the same way.
AI finishes Lehman’s 20-day Bitcoin film shoot
Principal photography for director Doug Liman’s AI-powered film Bitcoin: Kill Satoshi Last month, the film was cranked up after just 20 days of filming in London. The entire production took place inside a custom-built “gray box” soundstage, a former car showroom wrapped in gray screens, and the filmmakers did not use any real-world locations during filming.
Acme AI and FX producers used AI to generate backgrounds, sets, and lighting in post-production. The film stars Casey Affleck as computer scientist Craig Wright, and also co-stars Gal Gadot, Pete Davidson, and Isla Fisher. The film explores the controversial claims surrounding the creation of Bitcoin (BTC), unfolding amid global intrigue and heightened danger as competing factions seek the truth behind its mysterious origins.
How AI cut our budget from $300 million to $70 million
Producers say they cut the budget from more than $300 million to $70 million by using artificial intelligence to generate the backdrops, sets, and lighting, rather than filming in 200 real locations around the world. The globe-trotting thriller would have required filming in Antarctica, Antigua and Las Vegas at a cost that would have been described as “impossible” using traditional filmmaking approaches.
Producer Ryan Kavanaugh explained that the team budgeted the film virtually from the beginning and realized that using AI tools they could achieve a 100% photorealistic result at a fraction of the cost. The traditional costume and props departments remained, with 107 cast members, 100 film crew members, and 54 non-film crew members.
By filming everything in a single location, a converted car showroom, the production eliminated the need for travel, construction of multiple sets, and large lighting crews. A combination of AI tools captures an actor’s performance in a generated environment while maintaining human creative control at every step.
What impact will AI have on filmmaking?
The film is currently in 30 weeks of post-production with 55 AI artists. Lehman and his team stress that AI is not meant to replace actors or key performances, but rather serves as a tool to enhance creativity and cut down on unrealistic expenses. This ambitious independent film could be acquired by a buyer at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2026.
According to industry forecasts, the global film production AI market will rapidly grow from approximately $3 billion in 2024 to $11-23 billion by 2030-2033, driven by 40-60% efficiency gains in areas such as VFX and virtual production. As concerns about work, ethics, consent and audience acceptance continue, major studios and markets such as Hong Kong’s Film Mart are integrating these systems into their daily workflows.
This hybrid model therefore demonstrates the potential of AI to make previously “unproducible” large-scale stories economically viable and could pave the way for complex stories to be produced faster and cheaper, while also provoking a discussion about the long-term impact of AI on Hollywood jobs, creativity, and the future of location-based filmmaking.
Related: Internet Computer Predictions for 2026: Mission70 will reduce inflation by 70%, AI integration target is 8-12%
