Explore the wonder of artificial intelligence with Netflix’s new Sci-Fi film, Atlas, starring Jennifer Lopez, Simu Liu and Sterling K. Brown, now streaming.
WATCH: Jennifer Lopez, Simu Liu and Sterling K. Brown take fans behind-the-scenes of ‘Atlas’
*may contain spoilers
Directed by Brad Peyton, the project follows the adventures of a government analyst, Atlas Shepard (Lopez) who’s catapulted to a distant world to defeat her enemy — a robot warrior who overturned her life. While on her journey to defeat, Shepard must rely on help from one of the things she distrusts most — AI.
With the plot surrounding one of the most controversial topics today, the film has naturally grasped the attention of many who are curious to explore the new tool and a fresh perspective — the same reason director, Brad Peyton was originally drawn to the script. “The reason I came and tried to do a movie like this in the first place is because I thought the material was new and the approach would be new,” said Peyton of the movie centering around AI.
“I’d never shot anything like this. One of the things I’ve said to people in the past — which is really true — is as a creative, the worst sensation you could have is that you’re repeating yourself.”
Added Lopez, “We’re always looking for stories that are relevant in the moment. You kind of do want to tell the future, we try to do that with art — we forecast the future, or we’re looking to the future of like, 'these are the things going on in society right now,' let’s talk about them, let’s explore them, let’s see how as humans we’re going to deal with all of these things.”
WATCH: Director Brad Peyton on the making of 'Atlas'
* may contain spoilers
Exploring the impact of AI was an adventurous task for all members of the cast, especially Simu Liu who plays the AI bot, Harlan. “In building Harlan from the ground up, I thought it was a really incredible, fun opportunity to play the villain of the movie and build something that wasn’t human.” Liu expressed. “Harlan has, on a base level, all of the knowledge of humanity in him, but he doesn’t have the context, he doesn’t have the feeling. He only has data.”
The robotic nature mixed with knowledge of humanity proves to be a powerful mix in the story which brings Lopez’s character to uncover trust she never knew she had. “The most important thing, is her learning to trust,” Lopez said of the biggest lesson for her character in the movie. “From the beginning she is such a combative character, she’s always so wound-up, tight and obsessed with getting Harlan (Liu).”
Lopez continued, “She’s alienated herself from her co-workers in such a way that they don’t want to work with her, and for her to kind of get in that situation with an AI and be forced to do something with an AI when everybody else disappears is such a journey for her.”
Hear more about the message of the movie, how it was shot, lessons learned and the greatest challenges by checking out Audacy’s interviews with the cast and director above. Atlas is now available to stream via Netflix.