Gal Gadot Breaks Down Why She Fought So Hard to Protect Her Performance in Controversial AI-Made ‘Bitcoin’ Movie

Gal Gadot has never been one to shy away from big career swings, but her latest project has put her at the center of one of Hollywood’s most heated debates. Artificial intelligence has been quietly reshaping how films get made behind the scenes, and few recent productions have tested that shift quite as visibly as Doug Liman’s upcoming movie ‘Bitcoin.’

The film, which follows the origins of the world’s most famous cryptocurrency, has already drawn scrutiny for its unconventional production approach long before its release. Gadot stars opposite Casey Affleck, Pete Davidson, and Isla Fisher in a project that leaned heavily on artificial intelligence to build out its visual world.

That approach became the center of conversation when Gadot addressed the controversy directly during an appearance on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast. Speaking with host Josh Horowitz, Gadot explained that protecting her own performance from any AI interference required an unusually intense legal process

. “This was the longest contract I have ever worked on,” she told the podcast. “It was six months from my lawyers to go through every scenario we could think about as far as the AI component of it. I did not want AI to have anything to do with my performance. We had to protect that […] 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.”

Gadot was careful to draw a clear line around exactly where the technology was used. According to her, AI’s role in ‘Bitcoin‘ was limited entirely to the visual environment rather than the actors’ performances, telling the podcast that “the AI component in this movie is for sets and the lighting.” She noted that the legal groundwork protecting her performance was thorough enough that SAG-AFTRA itself reached out to her lawyers seeking guidance on updating union contract language for other actors facing similar situations.

The scale of AI’s involvement in ‘Bitcoin’ has been staggering by industry standards. Produced by Acme AI & FX, the film reportedly used the technology to replace traditional lighting and set construction entirely, with producer Ryan Kavanaugh claiming the approach saved more than $200 million, dropping the project’s budget from an estimated $300 million down to just $70 million.

That cost-cutting came through a dramatically compressed production process. Liman shot the entire film on a custom soundstage in just 20 days, filming actors in what amounted to a barebones warehouse space with digital environments built in later.

Gadot described the experience in surprisingly positive terms despite her broader unease with AI. She compared the stripped-down setup to working in theater, noting it created an unusually pure creative environment since the actors were essentially working with nothing but each other on set.

That efficiency extended to the pacing of filming itself. Without the need to wait for traditional lighting setups between takes, Gadot said the cast was able to shoot continuously for hours at a time, something she called a genuinely different experience compared to typical film sets.

Beyond discussing the ‘Bitcoin’ shoot, Gadot also used the conversation to reflect on where her career stands more broadly, expressing hesitation about ever returning to the Wonder Woman role given her current family commitments. That comment added another layer to a wide-ranging interview that touched on both the future of filmmaking technology and her own evolving priorities as an actress.

For an industry still grappling with how far AI should be allowed to reach into the creative process, Gadot’s comments offer a rare, detailed look from inside a production built almost entirely around the technology. Whether ‘Bitcoin’ becomes a blueprint for future filmmaking or a cautionary tale remains to be seen once the movie eventually reaches audiences.

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