Roland Emmerich and Antoine Fuqua may have directed a rival White House invasion movie in 2013, but it was all love between them at the San Diego Comic-Con on Friday.
Collider brought together two of the most successful action film directors of all time in Hall H to discuss their work in a panel discussion moderated by Steven Weintraub.
“Right before filming, maybe a month before, I learned he was making another movie called ‘Olympus Has Fallen,’” Emmerich said, revealing that he had watched Fuqua’s film on a plane. “I thought that was a much better title than ‘White House Down.’”
“I figured there was room for these stories,” Fuqua, who also confirmed he had seen Emmerich’s film, added. “Obviously, there are different directors and different visions for this.” He said the comparisons only fueled his fire to raise his game. “When you’re making a movie and Roland Emmerich is going to make the same movie, it’s tough… It was like a healthy competition. It was never negative for me.”
The directors also talked about the role of AI in filmmaking. “I think it’s a tool. That’s what it is. It makes your job as a director easier. That’s what’s really important, because it’s not like AI is doing everything for you. You still have to choose the right actor, shoot the right scenes, do the right thing. And so AI can really help you do that,” Emmerich said.
Fuqua expressed similar sentiments, comparing the rise of AI to the rise of digital technology compared to film. “We are creatures of habit. I remember when I started doing videos and commercials, I was shooting on film. Digital was something we all wanted and cried out for. It turned out to be great. It’s another paintbrush we can use to do our work. AI is the same thing.”
While Fuqua is open to embracing AI as a tool, he says there are some clear limitations when it comes to art. “It doesn’t replace human feelings and emotions. There are things that can only happen in the moment with another human being that no computer can ever achieve.”
Emmerich has directed numerous films, including Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, and The Patriot. Most recently, he directed the Romanian historical drama series Those About to Die for Peacock.
Fuqua’s credits include “The Equalizer,” “Training Day” and “Emancipation” trilogies. He is next set to direct a Michael Jackson biopic. The Michael film, starring the late King of Pop’s nephew Jaafar Jackson in his first major role, is set to open on April 18, 2025. Nine-year-old Juliano Cro Valde will play the younger Michael.
Oscar nominee Colman Domingo will play family patriarch Joe Jackson, with Nia Long as mother Katherine Jackson, Kat Graham as Diana Ross, Larenz Tate as Berry Gordy and Miles Teller as attorney John Branca. Press releases for the film promise a “thrilling and honest portrayal of a brilliant and complex man” that will include Jackson’s “undeniable creative genius” and “his human side and personal struggles.”
“I’m in the early stages of editing the movie right now. I just finished working on May 30th. I’m really excited about it. I’m really happy with what we have in the can,” Fuqua told the Comic-Con crowd. “Michael was a huge part of my life growing up, and he was a huge influence, but he was a human being, and we’re exploring that.”
