Before its theatrical release, RuPaul's upcoming action-comedy Stop! That! Train! became embroiled in controversy when social media users began speculating that generative AI was used to create its visual effects—a claim that prompted boycott calls from Drag Race fans.

How the Rumors Started

The firestorm began after filmmaker and VFX artist Gloria Cook posted a one-star review on Letterboxd following an early screening in late May, claiming the film contained "one of the most conspicuous uses of AI I've seen in a film." Cook noted that Acme AI was listed as the top-billed VFX company in the credits. Screenshots of her review spread rapidly on X, where posts criticizing the film's apparent AI use garnered millions of views. The controversy intensified because the film had only been shown to limited festival and preview audiences, leaving much of the public unable to verify the claims firsthand.

Shankman Sets the Record Straight

Director Adam Shankman addressed the uproar directly this week, stating unequivocally that no generative AI was used to conceive or create any shots in the film. "Every shot in Stop! That! Train! was made by human hands," Shankman said in an Instagram statement. "We employed hundreds of VFX artists who all killed themselves getting this out for release and not one job was taken out of human hands." Cast members, including Crazy Ex-Girlfriend's Rachel Bloom, chimed in to support the director's assertion, with Bloom writing that the production team "worked their *sses off to make this human made movie happen."

The AI Partnership Explained

The disconnect stems from the film's partnership with Acme AI & FX, a company that positions itself as a production infrastructure provider rather than a replacement for creative labor. According to sources familiar with the production, Acme was contracted exclusively for visual effects workflow processes—administrative and technical support—not for generating shots that appear on screen. The disaster-comedy, which follows a drag queen-staffed train careening toward a fictional natural disaster called a "Stormagaza," employs many practical and digital effects created by human artists whose names appear in the credits. Directed by Adam Shankman and starring Drag Race alums Ginger Mini, Jujubee, and Latrice Royale, the film has faced heightened scrutiny partly because RuPaul's Drag Race itself has drawn criticism in recent years for apparent AI-generated content, including an animated short and AI-created contestant portraits.

Sources: Queerty, them., Pride, Out

Cover photo: Wolrider YURTSEVEN / Pexels

artificial intelligence

'Stop! That Train!' Director Denies AI Rumors as Backlash Erupts