Vizrt shows how live video can be produced anywhere, without complex studio setups
Updated
April 20, 2026 1:40 PM
A camera filming a still life on a table. PHOTO: UNSPLASH
Vizrt, a media technology company, has introduced a new AI-powered tool to simplify the creation of virtual scenes in live production. Its latest release, the AI Keyer, is built around a simple idea: remove the need for green screens and make virtual production possible in almost any environment.
Traditionally, creating virtual backgrounds or augmented reality (AR) scenes requires controlled studio setups, green screens, precise lighting and skilled operators. That makes high-end visual production expensive and difficult to scale, especially for smaller teams or live, on-the-ground reporting.
The AI Keyer is designed to address that gap. It uses AI trained on real-world footage to identify people in a frame and separate them from the background in real time. This allows production teams to replace backgrounds, insert AR graphics or place presenters into virtual environments—whether they are indoors, outdoors or on location.
"Creating XR environments typically demands large infrastructure investments and requires specialized skills for daily operations. The Vizrt AI Keyer removes all these constraints, so high-quality virtual scenes and AR graphics become a reality for live productions of every size", says Edouard Griveaud, Senior Product Manager at Vizrt.
In practical terms, this means a presenter can appear in a different location without moving, a remote speaker can be placed inside a virtual event space or branded graphics can be added to live interviews without a complex setup. The system works without chroma keying, reducing both preparation time and production overhead.
This shift also reflects how the company is approaching AI more broadly. Instead of treating it as a background feature, Vizrt is positioning AI as a core part of the content creation and delivery process.
"AI is transforming the world, and the creative industries are no exception. At Vizrt, we have been on this journey for years, embedding intelligence into our solutions, empowering storytellers and delivering real, measurable impact for our customers", says Rohit Nagarajan, CEO of Vizrt. "That is not a vision for tomorrow. That is happening today. The Vizrt AI Keyer is the latest proof point of our relentless commitment to innovation. Putting breakthrough technology in the hands of every creative, at every level, everywhere in the world".
Beyond the product itself, the direction is clear. By removing the need for green screens and complex setups, tools like the AI Keyer make it easier to produce high-quality visual content in more flexible settings. The result is a production model that is less tied to physical studios and more adaptable to real-world environments, where content can be created and adjusted in real time.
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From AI love affairs to cosmic survival, 2026 has it all.
Updated
January 8, 2026 6:28 PM
A man in a space suit looking upon a ringed marble. PHOTO: UNSPLASH
Grab your popcorn—the 2026 sci-fi movie slate is stacked. We’re getting everything from post-apocalyptic survival films to AI thrillers, plus a big-space adventure and a fresh DC superhero story. Some films launch new worlds, others expand familiar ones, but all of them aim to leave an impression, but all of them look like the kind of movies you’ll want to talk about after the credits.
Here are five upcoming sci-fi movies to mark on your calendar.
Release Date: January 9, 2026
Director: Kate Dolan
Stars: Lily Sullivan, David Rysdahl and Claudia Doumit
If you like your sci-fi with a creepy edge, Soulm8te is very much in that lane. A spin-off from the M3GAN universe, the film follows a man grieving the loss of his wife who turns to an AI android to ease the pain. At first, it seems to help. The connection feels real, even comforting. But before long, it becomes a little too real and slips into something far more dangerous. What makes Soulm8te unsettling is how close it feels to the present. AI companions are no longer science fiction, and the film plays with that reality in a way that feels intimate rather than futuristic. Directed by Kate Dolan, the story stays on quiet unease instead of spectacle, allowing tension to build as affection turns possessive and attachment becomes dangerous. The film is produced by Allison Williams and James Wan, both closely involved in the hit horror franchise M3GAN, and their experience with technology-driven horror is clearly felt here. Fans of grounded, psychological sci-fi should keep this one on their radar.
Release Date: January 9, 2026
Director: Ric Roman Waugh
Stars: Gerard Butler, Morena Baccarin, Amber Rose Revah, Sophie Thompson, Trond Fausa Aurvåg
Back in 2020, Greenland introduced audiences to John Garrity (Gerard Butler), a father racing against time to save his family as comet fragments threatened to wipe out life on Earth. The film ended with survivors heading into bunkers deep in Greenland, hanging on to the last thin thread of hope. This sequel follows the Garrity family as they leave the safety of underground shelters and face a world that no longer resembles home. The setting moves across a battered Europe, where every decision carries weight and every journey feels uncertain. Rather than repeating the ticking-clock chaos of the original, Migration leans into endurance, exhaustion and the question of whether rebuilding is even possible. It’s a post-apocalyptic movie about movement, loss and the cost of starting over.
Release Date: March 20, 2026
Director: Phil Lord & Chris Miller
Stars: Ryan Gosling, Milana Vayntrub, Sandra Hüller
Based on Andy Weir’s best-selling novel, Project Hail Mary is shaping up to be one of the most talked-about space survival films of 2026. Ryan Gosling stars as Ryland Grace, an unlikely astronaut whose journey into space begins with confusion rather than heroics. Grace, a former junior high science teacher, wakes up alone on a spacecraft, cut off from Earth and missing key memories about how he got there. As pieces slowly fall into place, so does the scale of the problem he’s been sent to solve. The film blends real science with high-stakes isolation, balancing quiet moments with the pressure of a mission that affects the entire planet. Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, Project Hail Mary promises tension, curiosity and a heavy dose of human vulnerability set against the vastness of space.
Release Date: March 27, 2026
Director: Ridley Scott
Stars: Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin
The Dog Stars strips the apocalypse down to its bare essentials. Based on Peter Heller’s novel of the same name, the film features a screenplay by Mark L. Smith and Christopher Wilkinson, known for The Revenant and Ali. The setup of The Dog Stars is simple and bleak: a virus has erased most of humanity. What’s left is silence, abandoned airfields and roaming scavengers known as the “Reapers” who prey on the few survivors left behind.
Jacob Elordi plays Hig, a pilot living in isolation with his dog and a heavily armed companion. His days follow a strict routine, broken only by short flights in his aging Cessna. That fragile balance shatters when a distant radio signal breaks through the quiet. It’s the first real sign of life he has heard in years, and it draws him toward a journey that could change everything. Directed by Ridley Scott, the film focuses less on large-scale destruction and more on loneliness, hope and the risk of reaching out in a broken world. The result is a post-apocalyptic thriller that feels intimate, reflective and quietly tense.
Release Date: June 26, 2026
Director: Craig Gillespie
Stars: Milly Alcock, Jason Momoa, Matthias Schoenaerts
Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow offers a very different take on the DC universe. This is a cosmic sci-fi story first, superhero film second. Kara Zor-El is older, tougher and shaped by memories of a world she lost. Unlike her cousin Superman, she remembers the destruction of Krypton clearly, and that history weighs heavily on her. The film follows Kara as she crosses paths with a young alien seeking justice, pulling her into a dangerous journey across distant worlds. Rather than focusing on Earth-saving spectacle, the story explores identity, grief and what heroism looks like far from home. With Milly Alcock stepping into the role, Supergirl 2026 aims to expand DC’s sci-fi side while giving the character emotional depth rarely seen on screen.
One reason science fiction movies stick with us is that they ask big questions in a way that feels personal. What happens when tech starts filling emotional gaps? What does survival look like when the world doesn’t bounce back? And how far would you go to save everyone you’ve ever known? If you’re looking for 2026 sci-fi movies that range from gritty to hopeful to unsettling, this lineup has you covered.