A movie built around practical filmmaking, major stars, and a strange dinosaur-filled premise has found itself caught in a very modern controversy. Warner Bros. is facing online criticism after using AI-generated talking dogs to market its upcoming sci-fi adventure starring Anne Hathaway, turning a promotional stunt into a debate about where Hollywood should draw the line.
Anne Hathaway’s The End of Oak Street hit by AI ad backlash
The controversy centers on a social-media advertisement for The End of Oak Street, created with DogPack, a platform behind The Dogbone Podcast, which uses artificial animation and synthetic voices to stage conversations between dogs. The promo places Starbuck, the canine belonging to characters played by Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor, in a conversation with the podcast’s animated hosts. Warner Bros. and DogPack posted the clip across Facebook and Instagram (via The Wrap).
The reaction quickly turned sour on Instagram. Some viewers accused the studio of making a poor marketing choice, while others said the clip could actually hurt their interest in seeing the movie. Reposted versions also sparked criticism on X, Threads, and TikTok. Facebook offered a different picture, however, with at least one commenter praising the experiment as a strong application of AI. Warner Bros. Malaysia also used AI animation featuring dinosaurs attacking people in another promotional post. However, the clip has now been deleted.
The backlash reflects a larger Hollywood problem. Many filmmakers, animators, and other artists worry that studios can use generative AI to replace paid creative work, imitate artistic styles, or reduce the need for human performers and technicians. Critics also argue that AI-made material can feel cheaper and less personal, especially when audiences expect a major studio to invest in human craftsmanship.
DogPack co-founder Dov Punski defended the podcast’s approach in a 2025 interview with Business Insider. He argued that viewers understand the dogs are artificial and said the project aims to entertain rather than fool anyone. “People don’t like to feel like they’re being tricked … This is obviously not real. We’re not trying to trick anyone, we’re just trying to give people entertainment,” he said.
Originally reported by Rishabh Shandilya for Coming Soon.
