Epic Games has responded to claims from Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski that its Unreal Engine is responsible for a decline in modern movie CGI. The response came from Epic’s VFX supervisor, Pat Tubach, a veteran artist who worked on Verbinski’s original film trilogy.
The director’s critique of Unreal Engine CGI
In an interview, Verbinski was asked why he felt visual effects had changed for the worse since his work on films acclaimed for their CGI, like the character Davy Jones. He placed the blame on the growing use of game development toolsets in film production. “I think the simplest answer is you’ve seen the Unreal gaming engine enter the visual effects landscape,” Verbinski said.
He argued that the software creates a “gaming aesthetic” in cinema and criticised its technical capabilities. “I just don’t think it takes light the same way,” he said, claiming it leads to an “uncanny valley” effect in creature animation. “A lot of in-betweening is done for speed instead of being done by hand.”
Epic’s expert response
Epic Games, the developer behind Fortnite and Unreal Engine, provided a statement to IGN from its VFX supervisor, Pat Tubach. Tubach has a long history at effects house ILM, where his credits include the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films.
“It’s inaccurate for anyone in the industry to claim that one tool is to blame for some erroneously perceived issues with the state of VFX and CGI,” Tubach stated. He argued that the quality of visual effects comes down to the people using the tools, not the tools themselves. “Aesthetic and craft comes from artists, not software.”
Tubach added that modern tools empower artists to achieve more. “I can guarantee that the artists working on big blockbuster VFX films like Pirates of the Caribbean 10-15 years ago could only dream about having a tool as powerful as Unreal Engine on their desks to help them get the job done — and I should know — I was one of them!”
A debate on tools vs artistry
The exchange highlights a larger conversation in the film and gaming industries about the role of technology in creative fields. Game engines like Unreal are now widely used in Hollywood for pre-visualization and virtual production, a trend that accelerated with shows like The Mandalorian. Verbinski’s comments suggest a concern that these tools might be homogenizing visual styles or that their technical limitations are becoming apparent in final shots.
Tubach’s counter-argument represents the view from within the tech and VFX community: that these engines are powerful instruments that, in the right hands, expand creative possibilities rather than limit them. The quality of the final product, he suggests, still depends on the skill, time, and budget allocated to the artists.