After an impassioned speech during the Cannes Film Festival debut of his new film “Her Private Hell,” Danish auteur filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn (“Drive”) has now spoken out about his recent use of generative AI and teases that he has already dabbled with it for another mysterious film project that could be screened at the festival in the future.
“Having now tried it on something later on that may show here, I really love the creativity. For me, it’s like a brush. And obviously, no one really knows all the implications of what this is going to do and what’s going to happen, but from the perspective of creativity, it’s a new invention. And then it’s what you’re going to do with it,” said Refn to a crowd of journalists at Cannes for the “Her Private Hell” press day (via Variety).
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The paintbrush mentioned here sounds like he’s talking about it being a visual aid tool. Not entirely shocking, as Refn has stated back in 2023, he was experimenting and attempted to use generative AI (ChatGPT) to help with his writing, but it ended up being a bit of a disaster. So, there is a strong possibility (we’re just assuming) he’s using it for prep/concept art, although it’s still a little disconcerting that professional artists might be getting pushed out of the process.
Most following his work will be aware that NWR hasn’t released a movie in a decade, with 2016’s modeling world thriller “Neon Demon,” as he’s been working on the small screen by directing projects like “Too Old to Die Young” and “Copenhagen Cowboy.” We don’t know exactly what project the director is teasing that he’s used AI on. However, we cannot rule out that it might be his long-delayed Tokyo-set spy film “The Avenging Silence” (penned by James Bond franchise writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade that was nearly shot in Korea back in 2024-2025), and he’s still interested in doing his “Batgirl” movie if DC Studios is game for it.
The Playlist has just reviewed Refn’s latest flick as part of our coverage of the French film festival, and, thankfully, general audiences won’t have to wait too long to have that neon-soaked slasher injected into their eyeballs, as NEON will be releasing it in U.S. theaters on July 24. Feel free to watch that clip of NWR speaking about AI and his newly released teaser for the movie below.
Nicolas Winding Refn on AI:
— Variety (@Variety) May 19, 2026
“Having now tried it on something later on that may show here, I really love the creativity. For me, it’s like a brush. And obviously, no one really knows all the implications of what this is going to do and what’s going to happen, but from the… pic.twitter.com/lqXHPeQ5dy
Director Nicolas Winding Refn tells Charles Melton he has a “sexy body” and jokes that he “wishes I had his body” after the #Cannes premiere of “Her Private Hell.”https://t.co/IB481vHYIc pic.twitter.com/1SM6Ns8X4M
— Variety (@Variety) May 18, 2026
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