‘Doctor Who’ Director & ‘Sharknado’ Producer Write AI Films for Startup Promise AI

Jamie Magnus Stone and Micho Rutare are writing screenplays for AI-enabled films developed by the startup Promise AI, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Stone directed multiple episodes of the modern Doctor Who series, while Rutare developed the Sharknado franchise for Syfy.

Who is involved?

The creatives are part of a small but growing list of credited writers boarding AI projects at the Los Angeles-based company. Stone is writing Everything is Within Tolerance, a story about scientists in a hidden bunker. Rutare is writing the animated feature Ninja Punk, set in a futuristic Los Angeles. Each writer will be paired with an AI-native creator to develop their projects.

What is Promise AI's approach?

Company executives believe AI filmmaking benefits from a strong dose of traditional writing. "People who work on AI films have a mastery that very few people have — you need to learn dozens of tools," said Tyler Mitchell, a former Imagine Entertainment executive who runs development for Promise. He argues that pairing writers with AI experts provides a strong creative map.

Funding for the projects currently comes from Promise AI, with financial backing from the Peter Chernin-founded North Road company. The company will seek traditional distribution partners for the finished films, though mainstream interest from streamers and exhibitors remains an open question.

How are writers reacting?

In an email to THR, Rutare addressed potential backlash from the creative community. "In my conversations with fellow screenwriters, there is some fear of the unknown, but there’s also a sense of excitement around what opportunities these new tools will unlock," he wrote. Mitchell added that many writers are excited to see their work move instantly from page to screen.

The executive framed the company's mission simply: "We want to be among the first to make great stories with this new technology. At the end of the day that’s how we will be judged, and that’s how we want to be judged."