YouTube Pauses Monetization for 2 Huge Fake Movie Trailer Accounts

A few days ago, it was reported major Hollywood studios were monetizing fake movie trailers that use generative AI. Seeing this, YouTube’s now decided to cut that off and paused a pair of channels best known for those trailers.

Per Deadline, which initially reported on this, YouTube’s turned off the ad revenue for Screen Culture and KH Films. The former is the most famous of the two, and founder Nikhil Chaudhari was quoted throughout Deadline’s report. Some of its most famous videos have been “trailers” for Fantastic Four: First Steps and Superman. Meanwhile, KH Studio has made trailers for a Squid Game season starring Leonardo DiCaprio and a James Bond movie headlined by Henry Cavill and Margot Robbie.

YouTube is hitting Screen Culture and KH Studio with claims of violating its monetization policies. As Deadline notes, creators have to make significant changes if they’re using materials made from others, and videos can’t be “duplicative or repetitive,” or made “for the sole purpose of getting views.” Misinformation also plays a hand here, since the site forbids content made in a way that could mislead viewers. For example, Screen Culture’s Fantastic Four videos have teased Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer and Ralph Ineson’s Galactus, two characters who haven’t been revealed in Marvel’s trailer.

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KH Studio founder told Deadline his videos are just meant to provide fun ‘what if’ scenarios, and called it “tough to see it grouped under ‘misleading content’ in the demonetization decision. My goal has always been to explore creative possibilities – not to misrepresent real releases.” During the initial reporting, Chaudhari took a similar stance, saying most YouTube users know its videos are fake, so there’s no real harm done. However, he hasn’t responded to Deadline at time of writing.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.