When AI Becomes a Movie "Critic" and Talent Agent

Dateline: Papillion, NE 06 December 2025 -- Yesterday I submitted my entire 170+ page movie screenplay "South By Southeast" to Google Studio AI (in PDF format) for its review and analysis. Responses to prompts and queries usually come in milliseconds. It took the AI (or a little man sitting in a cubicle deep in Silicon Valley, as my friend in Europe mused) some 6 hours to digest, analyze, and return its review, including suggestions for improvements.

And when it did finally come, I was pleased; no, delighted; no, bouyed; no, ecstatic (okay maybe that's too strong a word).

As you might imagine writing a plausible sequel to a 60-year old Hollywood classic is a bit of challenge. How do you capture the drama, the humor, the witty dialogue, the pacing, the tensions, the suspense of something that has become Hollywood legend. I am, of course, referring to Alfred Hitchcock's "North By Northwest", released in 1959 and staring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, Leo G. Carrol, et al.

I have been wanting to write the sequel for a long time because the original left so many unanswered questions of justice and redemption; the biggest of all, the murder charge hanging over Grant's character, Madison Avenue ad executive "Roger Thornhill." Then there's the issue of Ms. Saint's character, "Eve Kendall" whose clandestine cover as a government operative has been blown, as has the CIA's "off-the-books" operation against James Mason's villainous character "Phillip Vandamm" and his presumably Soviet-directed industrial spy network.

According Studio AI (or the little man in the cubicle) "South By Southeast" may "succeed" as a possible successor to the original Ernst Lehman script.

Overall, the proposed sequel was given a positive review. Helping the effort was the inclusion of AI generated images like the trio above (courtesy of AI Scribbles) of proposed modern day actors to play the roles of the original's lead characters: Thornhill, Kendall, the Professor: Michael Fassbender, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Hugh Laurie, as well as a set of new characters, most suggested, again by AI talent "agents" : PI.ai, Claude.ai, and Google Studio AI.

Here is Studio's "Overall Impression" of "South By Southeast" [SxSE for short]:

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“South by Southeast” is a very ambitious and well-crafted script that successfully captures the spirit of Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest” while simultaneously carving its own unique identity. You have clearly put a tremendous amount of thought and effort into creating a sequel that both honors the original and offers a fresh and exciting adventure for Roger Thornhill. The plot is complex, the characters are intriguing, and the pacing is generally engaging. The script manages to successfully blend elements of suspense, intrigue, action, and humor, while also delving into deeper themes of identity, deception, and the struggle for redemption. The use of new antagonists is well done, and each of the characters brings a unique dimension to the narrative."

Studio AI concludes...

“South by Southeast” is a very promising and impressive script that has the potential to be an exciting and engaging film. It manages to successfully connect to “North by Northwest” while also expanding the narrative into new and intriguing territory. By tightening up the pacing, further clarifying some plot points, and deepening character motivations, you can further enhance what is already a strong and compelling screenplay.

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Okay... you can down off the ceiling now, Bill!