Antoine Fuqua and Roland Emmerich Swap Notes on White House Down and Olympus Has Fall

Roland Emmerich and Antoine Fuqua may have each helmed a dueling White House invasion movie in 2013, but it was all love between them at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday.

Collider brought two of the most successful action directors of all time together in Hall H to discuss their work in a panel moderated by Steven Weintraub.

“Right before shooting, maybe a month before, I learned he was shooting another one that was called ‘Olympus Has Fallen,'” Emmerich said — revealing he actually watched Fuqua’s film on a plane. “I thought, this is such a better title than ‘White House Down.'”

Fuqua, who also confirmed he’s seen Emmerich’s film, added, “I figured there’s room for those stories. Obviously, it’s two different directors, two different visions on that.” He said the comparisons only fueled the fire inside to step his own game up, continuing, “When you’re gonna make a movie and Roland Emmerich is gonna make the same movie, it’s daunting … It was more like a healthy competition. It was never negative for me.”

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The directors also weighed in on the role of artificial intelligence in filmmaking. “I think it’s a tool. That’s what it is. It just makes your job as a director more easy,” Emmerich remarked. “That’s what’s really important, because it’s not like this AI does everything for you. You still need to choose the right actor, shoot the right scenes, do the right thing. And then AI can really help you in doing that.”

Fuqua expressed a similar sentiment, and compared the onset of AI to the rise of digital as opposed to film. “We’re creatures of habit. I remember when I started in videos and commercials, I shot on film. Digital was a thing we all kicked and screamed about. Turns out, it’s fantastic. It’s another paintbrush we can use to do our work. AI’s the same thing.”

While Fuqua is open to embracing AI as a tool, he says there are some clear limitations when it comes to art. “It doesn’t replace human feelings and human emotions. There’s things that can only happen in the moment with another human being that no computer can ever achieve.”

Emmerich is the director of “Independence Day,” “The Day After Tomorrow” and “The Patriot,” among others. Most recently, he helmed Peacock’s Roman historical drama series “Those About to Die.”

Fuqua’s credits include “The Equalizer” trilogy, “Training Day” and “Emancipation.” He’s next set to direct a hotly anticipated Michael Jackson biopic. “Michael, starring the late King of Pop’s nephew Jaafar Jackson in his first major role, is due out on April 18, 2025. The 9-year-old Juliano Krue Valdi will play the younger Michael.

Oscar nominee Colman Domingo will take on the role of the role of family patriarch Joe Jackson, with Nia Long as mother Katherine Jackson, Kat Graham as Diana Ross, Larenz Tate as Berry Gordy and Miles Teller as lawyer John Branca. Press releases for the film promise a “riveting and honest portrayal of the brilliant yet complicated man” that will include both Jackson’s “undeniable creative genius” and his “human side and personal struggles.”

“I’m in the early stages of editing the film right now. Just wrapped May 30. Very excited about it. I’m very happy with what we’ve got in the can,” Fuqua told the Comic-Con audience. “Michael was a big part of my life growing up, a big influence, but he was a human being, and we’re exploring that.”

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Update: 2024-07-22

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