A slick cinematic video showing digital versions of Hollywood stars Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt locked in an intense rooftop fight has taken the internet by storm — and sparked a serious backlash from the global film industry.
AI generated Tom Cruise vs Brad Pitt fight goes viral
The viral clip opens with sweeping aerial shots before segueing into a stylized action sequence in which the two actors trade blows, leap over buildings and perform choreographed fight moves reminiscent of big-budget Hollywood blockbusters.
The visuals are strikingly realistic: facial expressions, camera movement and lighting are very reminiscent of scenes from a professionally produced action film. Many viewers initially believed the footage to be a teaser for a new collaboration between the two stars.
But the fight never took place.
The video was created entirely with artificial intelligence through a platform known as Seedance 2.0, a powerful text-to-video system said to be linked to Chinese technology company ByteDance. Created from simple challenges, the clip demonstrated how AI tools can now create almost cinematic sequences with recognizable likenesses of celebrities without the involvement of actors or studio approval.
Read also | What is Seedance 2.0? Movie AI video generator
Within hours of the video appearing online, it amassed millions of views on social media platforms, sparking both fascination and concern. Users shared reactions ranging from amazement at the technology’s realism to dismay at how convincingly it replicated real artists.
MPA Industrial Alarm and Response
The clip’s rapid spread prompted a strong response from the Motion Picture Association (MPA), which condemned the video as a “massive” infringement related to Seedance 2.0.
An MPA spokesperson said: “In a single day, the Chinese artificial intelligence service Seedance 2.0 has engaged in the unauthorized use of US copyrighted works on a massive scale. By launching a service that operates without meaningful safeguards against infringement, ByteDance is disregarding well-established copyright law that protects creators’ rights and supports millions of US jobs.”
Industry groups say such AI creations could undermine the legal framework protecting actors, filmmakers and studios. The concern isn’t just about a single viral video, but the precedent it sets if synthetic performances can be freely created using celebrity likenesses.
Actor Simu Liu, best known for his Marvel role, has publicly criticized the viral clip, calling it a “complete piece of garbage” despite acknowledging the technological leap it represents.
Simu reposted the video on X and wrote: “LOL anyone who has ever watched a martial arts movie knows this is absolute psi**t (sic).”
Simu Liu reacted strongly to the AI battle scene.
Critics argue that while AI can mimic appearance, it still struggles to mimic the emotional authenticity and physical accuracy of real-life performances.
They also expressed their views on it on social media.
One person wrote: “I realized we don’t need an actor to play now. We can sign the copyright issue to him. The rest will be done by an AI and a responsive engineer (sic).” Another person commented: “This is great technology… until someone uses it irresponsibly. That’s the real problem (sic).”
A third person wrote: “Tom Cruise vs Brad Pitt created with Seedance 2.0. Character consistency, accuracy and detail too real. Hollywood is cooked (sic).”
Neither Cruise nor Pitt have publicly commented on the viral video, but the incident has reignited the global debate about consent in the age of AI. Proponents argue that such tools democratize filmmaking, while critics believe they risk undermining the value of human artistry.
What started as an eye-catching viral clip has now become the spark of a much wider conversation. The battle between two digital movie stars may be fictional, but the clash between artificial intelligence and Hollywood creative rights is just beginning.