The hyper-realistic videos generated by ByteDance’s new AI model are getting attention online and provoking a serious response from Hollywood. Seedance 2.0, a recently introduced video generation system developed by the Chinese tech giant that owns TikTok, has gone viral after users began sharing high-quality clips that imitate scenes from big-budget films.
One of the most talked-about instances features a rooftop fight between Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. The clip, produced from a two-line prompt, depicts the two actors in a choreographed-style brawl that closely resembles a Hollywood action sequence. Although the video is entirely AI-generated and not actual footage, the realism of the scene has sparked discussions across social media platforms and within the entertainment industry.
Rooftop AI Fight Between Brad Pitt & Tom Cruise
The clip was created by a Chinese company and later posted on Twitter by filmmaker Ruairi Robinson. In this 15-second clip, two A-list stars are seen fighting in a stark, concrete landscape. This footage does not represent a conventional deepfake, which typically involves superimposing faces onto stunt doubles; instead, it is a fully generative sequence of the two well-known actors in a fight.
Given that this is from a Chinese entity, Brad and Tom are limited in their ability to file a lawsuit, as an American company would face legal consequences and a multitude of precedent violations for similar actions.
Hollywood is avoiding
The Motion Picture Association, which represents famous studios such as Disney, Warner Bros., and Universal, is avoiding. The organisation declare that Seedance 2.0 was developed using copyrighted materials without permission and face that the resulting videos constitute significant copyright violations. The MPA is insisting that ByteDance cease this activity and address the issues regarding the development of the system.
ByteDance has not revealed the complete range of materials utilised to train Seedance 2.0, yet the controversy highlights the escalating friction between AI developers and content proprietors. This issue extends beyond a single viral fight video. Users have also created reinterpretations inspired by Spider-Man, Titanic, Stranger Things, The Lord of the Rings, and Shrek.
These videos copy the tone, characters, and visual aesthetics of popular franchises, prompting further inquiries into intellectual property rights. This conflict arises at a moment when China and the United States are fiercely competing in the realm of artificial intelligence development.
Seedance 2.0 is perceived as part of China’s strategic initiative to compete with Western systems like OpenAI’s Sora. This rivalry has hastened the introduction of increasingly sophisticated video models capable of generating cinematic-quality content with minimal input.
Hollywood Artists are speaking
Hollywood studios and labour unions are paying close attention. Writers and actors have already expressed their worries regarding the influence of AI on creative employment, and the recent advancements introduce a new aspect to that discussion.
Rhett Reese, the screenwriter of Deadpool, has recently cautioned that the technology is advancing to a stage where a single person could soon produce a full-length film that is indistinguishable from contemporary studio outputs.
This is not the first occasion the Motion Picture Association has sounded alarms regarding AI-generated video. The organisation previously criticised OpenAI for similar issues related to Sora 2. In response to that criticism, OpenAI established further safeguards aimed at minimising infringement risks. Subsequently, Disney entered into a licensing agreement for 200 characters, a decision perceived by some industry analysts as a possible framework for reconciling AI innovation with intellectual property rights.
