Shawn Levy has insisted AI would not be used to de-age actors in Stranger Things Season 5.

While speaking to Deadline for an interview published on Wednesday, the Stranger Things producer clarified an earlier comment he made which suggested that the show’s cast may be de-aged in its final season using artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

“No,” Shawn said when asked if AI would be used to make the actors look younger. “I kind of was surprised that one sentence I said around this topic traveled so widely. The bottom line is, we know what we’re doing on this show.”

He continued, “Our cast is brilliant. And these characters that the Duffers have created are so vivid. I’m not worried about everyone suiting back up and bringing them to life.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Shawn shared that the Stranger Things cast and crew were “chomping at the bit” to continue production on the show’s fifth and final season once the SAG-AFTRA strike has resolved.

“The thing that people just need to remember is, we who make the show are fans of the show, too,” he said. “And you better believe we want to stick the landing.”

The producer and Deadpool 3 director also lamented that the work stoppage has interrupted the schedules on all his projects.

“I have seen so many calendars on every production, and each one of them gets ripped up, because we’re all guessing at when our industry will resume production,” he explained. “So, I just am going to find a way to give all of these projects that means so much to me, all of myself. I’m not going to half ass any of it.”

– Cover Media