Nickelodeon Animator Bows Out of AI Program Amid Backlash
Animation heavyweight Jorge R. Gutierrez — the force behind El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera, Maya And The Three and El Macho — set his sights on Looney Tunes with a Speedy Gonzalez movie, but an unexpected snag has thrown the plan off course.
Well that escalated quickly. Jorge R. Gutierrez signed on to help Amazon experiment with AI in animation, fans pushed back hard, and now he is out. He says he is not making the AI-born 'Punky Duck' series after all.
What went down
Gutierrez — the filmmaker behind 'El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera', 'Maya and the Three', and 'El Macho', and the guy developing a Speedy Gonzalez movie for the Looney Tunes crowd — recently got fans excited by teasing a potential return to one of his Nickelodeon staples. Then word got around that he was also joining Amazon's AI animation initiative. That did not go over well.
After the backlash, he posted a public update and pulled the plug on his involvement. Here is the key part of what he wrote:
"Learning a lot from many of you. Thank you. Lots of information that I'm digesting wholeheartedly. I am absolutely understanding the concern of using AI to assist an animation pipeline. For all those showing me grace, I really appreciate it. I have a lot to think about. I have decided to drop out of the AI program at Amazon. I will not be making a Punky Duck series. Actions speak louder than words. My intent was to showcase artists, both new and seasoned, both inside and outside the studios, driving this new tech. My sincerest apology to those I upset. I promise to do better moving forward. Thank you for your patience with me. I will try harder."
Why the reaction was so loud
Amazon does not have the best track record with AI and animation-adjacent work, which is a big part of why fans bristled. Not long ago, Amazon tried AI-generated English dubs for some anime, including 'Banana Fish' and 'Vinland Saga'. The results got roasted online, and those dubs were eventually pulled from Prime Video. As far as fans can tell, Amazon has not tried AI dubs again since — so when new AI-driven animation projects popped up, people were understandably wary.
Where this leaves Jorge's slate
- He has exited Amazon's AI animation program and will not make the AI-born 'Punky Duck' series.
- He has been talking about reviving 'El Tigre' and mashing it up with other Nickelodeon favorites like 'My Life as a Teenage Robot' and 'Invader Zim'. He says the original creators are on board with the idea.
- He told fans at MomoCon that he is in active talks with Paramount about that NickToons comeback. It is not greenlit yet.
- He is also working on projects for Netflix and Warner Bros.
- On the feature side, he plans to step into the Looney Tunes world with a Speedy Gonzalez movie.
- Background for the uninitiated: he created 'El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera', directed 'Maya and the Three', and made 'El Macho'.
My read: this was a fast course correction that probably saves him a year of explaining himself on social media. The AI-in-animation debate is not going away, but listening and pivoting this quickly is rare. If the NickToons revival actually happens — with 'El Tigre' leading the charge and cameos from 'Teenage Robot' and 'Invader Zim' — that could be a blast. Now it is on Paramount (and the streamers) to make a deal and let him cook.