Was Elon Musk in Real Steel?
Elon Musk is a multibillionaire tech mogul, entrepreneur, and inventor. His commercial aerospace company SpaceX has successfully launched the first Crewed mission to the International Space Station and the first Starship spacecraft in 2021. He has also founded and led Tesla, which is the world’s leading electric vehicle manufacturer. But did he have a role in Shawn Levy’s 2011 blockbuster science fiction movie Real Steel? Now, let’s find out.
The film is based on a short story by Richard Matheson and follows the story of a former boxer (Hugh Jackman) and his son as they enter the exciting and dangerous world of robot boxing. The movie also starred Evangeline Lilly, who played Jackman’s on-screen daughter. Real Steel is set in a future where human boxing has been outlawed and the sport has become a new form of boxing with robots. Despite being a great success and grossing almost $300 million at the box office, Elon Musk does not appear in the film.
However, Musk did have an indirect role in Real Steel. Prior to the release of the movie, he invested in an artificial intelligence start-up firm called Vicarious Systems. Vicarious Systems provided technology and software used to help create more realistic-looking robots in the movie. Musk has also been an advocate of artificial intelligence, calling it the “holy grail” of technology. So, in some ways, Musk’s investment in Vicarious Systems was a factor in making the robots look realistic.
Interestingly, there is also a connection between Musk and the movie even before Vicarious Systems’s involvement. In 2009, Cary Fukanaga (director of films such as True Detective and Sin Nombre) signed on to direct Real Steel. Fukanaga had previously worked with Elon Musk on a short film about Musk’s space exploration dream called Saturn 5. This short was to be released in May 2009 but this was never completed as Fukanaga pulled out of the project due to a disagreement about the narrative.
Although Elon Musk did not appear in Real Steel, his influence on the movie was an indirect one thanks to his investments in Vicarious Systems and his previous involvement with the film’s director.
Musk’s Stake In The Film Industry
Given Elon Musk’s interest in artificial intelligence and his investments in Vicarious Systems, it is no surprise that he is keenly interested in the movie industry. In fact, he has been seen attending the world-renowned Sundance film festival for years, and his investments in Vicarious Systems and short film with Fukanaga are both evidence of his interest.
Despite these investments, however, Musk has not shown any interest in directly involving himself in the film industry. He shies away from the spotlight and prefers to focus on his business ventures. In fact, Elon Musk is more likely to invest in innovative technological projects than in the film industry.
This stance is quite understandable considering the notoriously volatile nature of the film industry. While a blockbuster movie can make millions at the box office, not all films are guaranteed to be a success and the financial risk involved can be huge. It is therefore not surprising that Musk has been reluctant to completely invest in the film industry.
Musk’s Involvement in Space Exploration Films
Despite his aversion to the film industry, Elon Musk has shown an active interest in films dealing with space exploration. He has already invested in the short film Saturn 5 and had been in discussions with director Cary Fukanaga about a potential collaboration. In 2014, Musk actively promoted the movie Interstellar and even attended the world premiere of the film in London.
Musk is also reported to have been in discussions with Hollywood directors about a potential space exploration movie. Though this would indeed be an exciting project and great for fans of space exploration, nothing has come of this collaboration yet. However, this does speak to Musk’s interest in the subject and his desire to promote space exploration to a wider audience.
Musk’s View on the Movie Industry
In general, Elon Musk’s views on the movie industry are quite ambivalent. On one hand, he appears to be interested in showcasing space exploration in film but at the same time he also seems to be wary of the risks associated with investing heavily in the film industry. This view is perfectly understandable, given that the movie industry is an unpredictable and often risky business.
However, this has not stopped Musk from indirectly being involved in the film industry. His investments in artificial intelligence-related technology allowed for the Real Steel robots to appear more life-like and this helped make the movie a success. In addition, his promotion of the Interstellar film helped bring the movie to a much wider audience.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Elon Musk did not have a role in the 2011 movie Real Steel. Despite this, his influence on the movie was still evident thanks to his investments in the AI-related Vicarious Systems technology and his promotional efforts for the interstellar movie. Though Musk may be unwilling to actively invest in the film industry, he is perfectly willing to support it in various indirect ways.
