French filmmaker and animator Sylvain Chomet has denied that his Dior short, “Christian Dior’s Night in Color,” was created with generative AI. He and producer Aton Soumache told Variety that the six-minute film was made using traditional 2D animation.
The team used automated interpolation for a small part of the process to create some in-between frames and smooth the movement, they said. Soumache said production took seven months and involved about 20 people, including six animators.
The film was made to launch Dior’s 2026 holiday season. Online speculation about AI followed comments on apparent visual glitches, including a character whose hand seems to have six fingers.
Chomet said the hand was drawn to show movement, like a fan opening, and that such a pose can appear to have six or seven fingers. He described interpolation as a way to automate repetitive, mechanical work rather than the creative process.
The story draws on episodes from Dior’s history, including Christian Dior’s friendship with Marlene Dietrich and the creation of the Junon gown in 1949. Dietrich is preparing to shoot a film in Los Angeles when its director decides to switch to color, prompting an urgent request to Paris for a colorful Dior dress.
Robert Pattinson narrates the film. Louis Garrel voices Christian Dior, Camille Cottin plays Dietrich, Josh O’Connor voices a talking chair, Rihanna portrays Dior’s lucky star and LaKeith Stanfield plays the Hollywood director.
