Gal Gadot said she chose to appear in an AI-assisted Bitcoin thriller despite her concerns about the technology, arguing that ignoring it is no longer a realistic option for actors working in film.
Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Gadot said, according to Variety: 「I am afraid of AI, but I am going to be afraid and look away? No. The train has left the station. You're going to work with it or be out of the game completely. I am trying to make the best of it and protect what I can protect.」
Six months of contract review focused on AI safeguards
Gadot said her lawyers scrutinized the agreement in detail to protect her from risks tied to AI use in the production.
She described it as the longest contract she has worked on. For "Bitcoin: Killing Satoshi," her legal team spent six months going through every scenario they could think of related to the AI element of the project.
Gadot said the technology is being used for sets and lighting, not for her acting. "The AI component in this movie is for sets and the lighting," she said, adding that her performance is "all me" and that she "did not want AI to have anything to do with my performance."
She added that her lawyers pushed that point so far that SAG contacted them for pointers as it works to update contract language aimed at protecting other actors.
Doug Liman's Bitcoin film carries a $70 million budget
"Bitcoin: Killing Satoshi" is a $70 million thriller directed by "The Bourne Identity" filmmaker Doug Liman. The story centers on the hunt for Bitcoin's pseudonymous creator.
Gadot appears alongside Casey Affleck, Pete Davidson, and Isla Fisher in a plot that moves across continents and spans roughly 200 locations, although none of the cast members were filmed on location.
Instead, the actors worked inside a former car showroom lined with gray screen, nicknamed the gray box. Sets and lighting setups were generated afterward.
According to Variety, producer Ryan Kavanaugh said shooting the film in a conventional way would have cost more than $300 million, putting the savings at more than $200 million.
Gadot said the shoot felt like theater
Gadot compared the production style to theater because the warehouse contained little beyond the actors themselves. "It felt like a pure art form of creating a movie," she said.
Without waiting for lighting setups, filming stretched for 10 hours at a time. "We would film on and on and on," she said.
She also said she has not yet seen any footage from the movie. "I haven't seen a single shot," Gadot said. "We'll see. It's crazy."
Crypto remains rare in major studio films
A studio thriller built around crypto is still unusual. The report noted that crypto has appeared more often in indie productions and direct-to-video crime stories. When it shows up in mainstream films, it is usually tied to criminals or to characters audiences are not meant to like.
That pattern may be changing. "Bitcoin: Killing Satoshi" is now heading to screen alongside Netflix's in-production crypto romantic comedy "One Attempt Remaining."