Who would've guessed that this explosion would lead to so much outrage? Here's why some fans are furious about one shot in an early trailer for Gareth Edwards' "The Creator."
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00:00 Who would have guessed that this explosion would lead to so much outrage?
00:04 Here's why some fans are furious about one shot in an early trailer for Gareth Edwards'
00:09 The Creator.
00:11 Rogue One A Star Wars Story premiered to widespread acclaim in 2016, and director Gareth Edwards'
00:16 first feature since, titled The Creator, hits theaters on September 29.
00:21 While anticipation is high, The Creator courted some controversy prior to its release over
00:25 a scene in its first trailer.
00:27 "Ten years ago today, the artificial intelligence created to protect us detonated a nuclear
00:33 warhead in Los Angeles."
00:36 As it turns out, this clip is effectively identical in appearance to a widely circulated
00:41 recording of the tragic real-life explosion that severely damaged Beirut, Lebanon in August
00:47 of 2020.
00:48 Widespread discussion of this similarity began in a Reddit thread that amassed more than
00:52 1,500 upvotes.
00:54 Director Gareth Edwards addressed the close resemblance between the explosion in The Creator
00:57 trailer and the Beirut incident during a Reddit AMA on September 14, 2023.
01:03 In a response to one user asking about the footage, Edwards replied, "It was never
01:07 meant to be included in the trailer and never appears in the actual movie."
01:11 Just by way of explanation, the reality is that archival footage is commonly used as
01:15 reference for temporary VFX.
01:17 In this particular case, it appears that someone apparently messed up and neglected to replace
01:22 or remove the explosion sequence before the trailer's official release.
01:26 Before Gareth Edwards explained that the controversial explosion was never intended for the final
01:29 version of The Creator trailer, users on the VFX subreddit discussed at length how it might
01:34 have ended up making the final cut and shared what they thought about its inclusion.
01:38 In the thread's top comment, a user who said they had more than 24 years of VFX experience
01:43 explained that whoever holds the rights to the original Beirut explosion footage is technically
01:47 allowed to sell or distribute it through whatever channels they might want.
01:50 However, ethically, they didn't think its inclusion was right and theorized that it
01:54 was likely meant to be used just for reference.
01:56 Meanwhile, another user brought up the fact that various VFX companies contributed to
02:00 the film's extensive special effects, meaning that it was unlikely Edwards was aware of
02:04 what had happened.
02:05 The thread's original poster likewise shared numerous thoughts about the clip in a lengthy
02:09 comment.
02:10 Does it make a difference if real identifiable people are in the footage and are injured?
02:14 Or what if it's just a wide shot like this where we don't really see anyone?
02:17 Would it be okay to use World War II archival footage in a fictional film?
02:21 While Edwards has since clarified its inclusion was a mistake, these questions are, of course,
02:25 valid all the same.
02:27 The explosion in Beirut, Lebanon killed over 200 people and injured an estimated 7,000
02:31 more.
02:32 The event is still fresh in the collective memories, so it's understandable why the
02:36 trailer for the creator left a bad taste in some people's mouths.
02:39 Even if it was a mistake, one Reddit user expressed fear that the shot might actually
02:43 make it into the film.
02:44 We don't consider inspiration unethical, but this is unethical because they are completely
02:49 different.
02:50 It's one thing to be like, "Hey, here's what an explosion would look like.
02:53 Let's make ours look like that."
02:54 It's another to actually exploit it in the film.
02:57 Similarly, there are some movie fans who refuse to see the creator as a result of the mistake.
03:02 There have been calls for boycotts by some Reddit users, and they don't seem willing
03:05 to overlook the mix-up.
03:07 One user wrote, "Hundreds of people died in that footage.
03:10 Thousands were injured."
03:11 And you think it's an overreaction to boycott the film because the creator stole this clip
03:15 for money?
03:16 Chances are, with Edwards acknowledging the mistake and his emphasis that it won't appear
03:20 in the theatrical film, it's unlikely that this controversy will affect the film's box
03:24 office performance.
03:25 Either way, those who want to will be able to see the film on September 29th.
03:30 [music]