Gore Verbinski called modern special effects a step backward.

The creator of Pirates of the Caribbean criticized Hollywood's fascination with gaming technology and the Unreal Engine.

Director Gore Verbinski, who helmed the first three films of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, the horror movie The Ring, and won an Oscar for the animated feature Rango, has spoken out about the state of modern visual effects in film. According to him, the industry increasingly sacrifices artistic depth for production speed and technological uniformity.

In his comments, the filmmaker noted that today's blockbusters are progressively losing cinematic expressiveness, with their visual language increasingly resembling video games.

The "Flat" Aesthetic of Modern Blockbusters

In Verbinski's view, one of the key problems with contemporary films is the abandonment of practical effects and excessive reliance on digital technology. He emphasized that even in the largest projects, especially in superhero cinema, a visual flatness has emerged that wasn't present before.

The director believes that the magic of special effects, rooted in the combination of real sets, lighting, and the handmade artistry of craftspeople, is gradually disappearing, giving way to a uniform digital image.

The Influence of Unreal Engine on the Film Industry

Gore Verbinski directly links these changes to the active penetration of game engines, primarily Unreal Engine, into filmmaking. Originally developed for video games, this tool is now increasingly used in creating visual effects and virtual sets in Hollywood.

According to the director, there used to be a clear distinction between technologies for games and for films: Unreal was used in the gaming industry, while programs like Maya remained the standard for film production. Now, this boundary is blurring, and along with it, the visual aesthetic characteristic of video games is infiltrating movies.

Technological Progress or Loss of Quality?

Verbinski emphasizes that he considers the replacement of traditional tools with Unreal Engine as the foundation for visual effects to be a step backward. In his opinion, the engine handles light, subsurface scattering, and reflections on skin differently, which directly impacts the realism of the image.

He cites this as the reason for the emergence of "creepy" digital characters and animation that appears rushed. He notes that the focus on production speed leads to many intermediate frames being generated automatically rather than crafted by hand, which affects the quality of the final result.

Unreal Engine as a Hollywood Standard

Despite Verbinski's criticism, Unreal Engine has already become a common tool for major studios. It is actively used in creating virtual sets, series, and high-budget films, significantly accelerating the filming process and reducing costs.

Nevertheless, the director's remarks reflect a growing and increasingly noticeable debate within the industry about the balance between technological convenience and the preservation of artistic quality that long defined the visual character of big-budget cinema.