I will be shocked if it isn't generative AI.
They sort of already did AI in the first film, but if they found a really interesting and different angle on it, it could work and be really entertaining.
Honestly, with that whole stupid debacle with the AI generated actresses, the talk of copyright in regards to actors and their likenesses being used and wanting to use AI to write film scripts, I could see a really great premise where Katie is trying to get her start as a filmmaker or trying to sell her own movie to a film studio, but the film studio want to use generative AI to write and create their films and use AI actors to replace real life actors. Of course, Katie butts up against this because she’s very passionate about movies (as established in the first movie) made by actual people having real heart and soul put into them and the film studio having none of that. Then, of course, something goes wrong with all of the AI technology, maybe due to a bad prompt or data (commentary on misinformation), and a bunch of uncanny abominations somehow get online and start attacking the real world and try to replace everyone in sort of a “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” type scenario.
Then, of course, it’s up to Katie and her family to once again save the world from another technological terror. Their solution? Find the best filmmakers and writers to help create the ultimate film to take down this new threat once and for all. There could also be this whole through line of Rick getting to learn and understand more about his daughter through what she is most passionate about and gaining a greater appreciation for filmmaking.
Actually, the more I’m thinking about it, this has a lot of great potential. Plus, Hollywood always love a film about themselves.
Bonus points if Katie’s girlfriend gets to join them this time and we get a bit of LGBTQIA+ representation (the end of the first movie did hint at Katie introducing her to her parents). The filmmakers can get away with it if they’re very sneaky about it like they were with the first film. Plus, the actress who played her was most recently in “Agatha All Along” and got a bit of a popularity boost from that, so even more of an excuse to give her a bigger role.
As for titles, off the top of my head:
“The Mitchells vs. the Machines 2.0”
“The Mitchells vs. Artificial Intelligence”
“The Mitchells Go To the Movies”
“The Mitchells Go to Hollywood”
I think I might’ve just accidentally stumbled upon and figured out what this film is probably going to be about.