Here's why Jennifer Lopez cried while reading Netflix's 'Atlas' script
What's the story
Jennifer Lopez, the lead actor in Netflix's new sci-fi film Atlas, recently disclosed her deep emotional connection to the script.
In a conversation with CBR, she confessed that the script moved her so much that she "sobbed" upon first reading it.
The story, which explores the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence (AI), is directed by Brad Peyton and written by Leo Sardarian and Aron Eli Coleite.
Character insight
'First time I read the script, I sobbed'
In Atlas, Lopez plays a data analyst with a deep-seated distrust of AI. Her character is forced to overcome this fear and trust AI to save humanity.
"For me, the kind of relationship between Atlas and the artificial intelligence was really interesting," said Lopez, adding, "I remember the first time I read the script, I sobbed and I thought, 'Yeah, this is a sci-fi [movie]. This is an action movie.'"
Human-AI
Lopez's character in 'Atlas' explores the human-AI relationship
Lopez further highlighted how Atlas is a "really beautiful story about how these two kinds of entities (Human and AI) come together and become more human."
"Smith becomes more and more human, and so does Atlas. That relationship of learning how to trust someone when you've never trusted anything since you were a child because of some traumatic event that happened to you is something that a lot of people can identify with," the 54-year-old actor added.
AI debate
Film explores benefits and issues of AI, says co-star
Sterling K. Brown—co-star in Atlas—highlighted the film's exploration of both the benefits and issues surrounding AI use.
He noted, "To be able to tell a story that forecasts the beauty of what it could be...the horror of what can be...I think that's what we're all talking about."
The film is set nearly three decades after an uprising led by an advanced AI bot named Harlan (Simu Liu), who disappears after losing a war against humanity—leaving behind a threat to humans.
Plot details
'Atlas' plot: Lopez's character connects with AI
In Atlas, Lopez's character, who grew up with Harlan as a sibling, spends 28 years trying to locate him to eliminate the human threat.
Despite her fear and distrust of AI, she eventually connects with an AI named Smith (Gregory James Cohan) via a device called a Neural Link.
The relationship between Smith and Atlas forms the heart of the movie, providing some comedic relief amid serious action.
The film landed on the streamer on Friday.