Animation's AI Reckoning: Filmmakers Say They Can Make Movies for 90% Less

Bloomberg's June 28 report documents working animators and filmmakers—not just executives—claiming AI tools now cut animated film production costs by up to 90%, moving the industry conversation from prediction to practice. The piece follows DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg's earlier forecast but focuses on practitioners shipping real productions at a fraction of traditional budgets. The trend is accelerating structural pressure on studio labor models already strained by strike fallout and automation anxiety across Hollywood.