Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Darren Aronofsky has released the trailer of his AI-driven Revolutionary War series, On This Day… 1776, but the reaction online has been largely critical.
On This Day… 1776 trailer garners criticism online
Produced through Aronofsky’s Primordial Soup AI studio in collaboration with Google DeepMind, On This Day… 1776 is a short-form animated series that recreates important moments from the founding of the United States. The project blends traditional filmmaking tools with generative AI to craft its narrative episodes.
But the release of the On This Day… 1776 trailer was met with largely negative responses on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Critics focused on the aesthetic quality of the AI-generated visuals and the fundamental concept of using AI for historical storytelling. Many users expressed disappointment and skepticism.
One viewer commented, “From Black Swan to AI Generated American History slop.” Another noted, “Nothing about this looks good, and I don’t even say that to be a hater. AI just isn’t there. Everything looks off in some way, shape, or form.”
The sentiment extended to concerns about the artistic process, with one person stating, “Please dont..Great films come from lived pain, joy, mistakes, timing, and human risk. AI can imitate patterns only it can’t care, suffer, or believe in the story.”
Some commenters questioned the decision to celebrate the upcoming 250th anniversary of American independence with AI-assisted visuals, with one post reading, “Imagine celebrating 250 years of your nation’s founding with AI slop…” Another added, “But why? No one asked for this.”
The production utilizes SAG-AFTRA union voice actors for narration, avoiding AI-generated voices. The series is executive-produced by Ari Handel, Aronofsky, and Lucas Sussman, who led the writers’ room with the goal of “reframing the Revolution not as a foregone conclusion but as a fragile experiment shaped by those who fought for it,” as per their statement.
Time Studios plans to release episodes on its YouTube channel throughout 2026. The first two episodes already premiered on January 29.
