Wiz Khalifa reckons with “Scream 7” in his live stream: AI and deepfakes are set up. What other stars say about artificial intelligence in cinema.
The US rapper Wiz Khalifa has been clearly critical of the new horror film “Scream 7”.
In a livestream, he particularly targeted the use of artificial intelligence and deepfake technology and described them as unnecessary and poorly implemented. In his opinion, these aspects seemed artificial and would harm the film rather than enrich it.
Criticism of dealing with current trends
Khalifa made the comments as part of his livestream format “The Sesh,” in which he regularly speaks to fans. At the heart of his criticism is the impression that the horror sequel places too much emphasis on modern technologies.
Deepfake videos play a role in the film, which are used by the perpetrators to psychologically manipulate characters. For Khalifa, this approach seems like an attempt to necessarily incorporate a current topic into the plot – regardless of whether it actually benefits the story. If films react too strongly to contemporary trends, there is a risk that they will lose relevance more quickly, said the rapper.
Debate about AI in film and music
The criticism comes at a time when the use of artificial intelligence in the creative industry is increasingly being discussed. In Hollywood, AI is used, among other things, for visual effects, digital rejuvenation of actors and generative content.
At the same time, some entertainers express skepticism about the role of technology. Leonardo DiCaprio, for example, emphasized to Time Magazine that AI can be a tool – but real art must come from people. “Anything that is truly considered art has to come from people,” the actor explained.
Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro positioned himself even more clearly. The drastic sentence was uttered to “NPR”: “I would rather die than use generative AI.” At the Gotham Awards, the filmmaker also emphasized that his work was created “by people for people” – and concluded his speech with the words: “Fuck AI.”
AI artists
The AI-generated character Tilly Norwood also shows how controversial the topic is now. The digital “actress” recently released a music video with the song “Take the Lead” that aggressively presents artificial intelligence as the future of creative work – and in which AI is expressly praised as “not the enemy, but the key”.
The actor Chris Pratt reacted rather mockingly to the hype about AI actors in January 2026. He told Variety that the furor was “all complete bullshit.” He also said of Norwood: “I’ve never seen a movie with her. I don’t even know who that woman is supposed to be.”
Successful theatrical release despite criticism
Regardless of the discussions, “Scream 7” got off to a strong start at the box office. When it opened in US cinemas, the film grossed around $64 million. The film was also very successful internationally: it grossed $97.2 million worldwide in its first weekend, just missing the 100 million mark. You can watch the trailer here:
“Scream 7” opened significantly more successfully in Germany than its predecessor. On the first weekend, around 150,000 people bought a ticket; including the previews, the number of visitors is around 167,500, according to “buffed”.
This means that the new sequel achieved the best theatrical release in this country since the original Wes Craven trilogy. For comparison, “Scream VI” only sold around 125,000 tickets in 2024. With these numbers, “Scream 7” immediately secured number one in the German cinema charts.
