Grimes Cameo in 'Gods Don't Give Gifts' Began With a DM

Grimes will appear in a minuteslong cameo in "Gods Don't Give Gifts" next month, making her one of the highest-profile celebrities to authorize her likeness for an AI film. The feature, directed by Zack London under his moniker Gossip Goblin, debuts in theaters on Dec. 4 as the first AI feature film to receive a theatrical release.

How did the collaboration start?

The deal originated in Grimes' own social feeds. London, a longtime fan of the 38-year-old experimental pop artist Claire Boucher, noticed she had followed his X account and engaged with his videos. In March, Boucher replied to clips posted on the Gossip Goblin X account, and London responded with an offer to work together.

"We started chatting, and it was like, 'Oh, we know a ton of the same people,'" London told Variety last month over lunch in Chelsea. "She was like, 'I would love to do something with you.' And then, it was basically, 'Well, I wish I knew that earlier, but let's find a way for you to be in this.'"

What role does Grimes play?

Boucher plays Zaynith Alda, a brash, demanding aristocrat from the wealthy Halvorith family, in an early sequence of the post-apocalyptic film. The character seeks a "dreamspool" — an illicit, induced experience in the world of "NiiroCradle" that lets people experience alternate realities.

The character already existed in the nearly two-hour script, but London and co-writer Jacob Batchelor adapted the role around Boucher's persona. She helped design the character, including the mechanical-looking mask Alda wears, and dropped the British accent native to the rest of the film's world. A team spanning three continents recorded her lines: London in Stockholm, his editor and sound engineer in Romania, and Boucher and her producer in Los Angeles, working from her home.

Any recording of Boucher attempting the British accent? "If there are, they're on a hard drive somewhere," London said.

What are the film's Oscar ambitions?

Fable, the AI studio behind the R-rated sci-fi film, is pushing the project toward the best animated feature category at the Oscars. The studio has staged screenings for Academy animation voting members across New York and Los Angeles and set a Times Square marketing campaign built around Boucher's appearance. Variety's "Awards Circuit" does not list the film among potential contenders.

"You only need to see Grimes' brilliant performance in the film to understand how much things are about to change for animated movies," Fable CEO Edward Saatchi said. "We hope the Academy will recognize that a film that is seminal (the first AI film), wildly technically novel and (most importantly) good deserves a nomination."

Why did Grimes work for free?

Boucher declined an interview. Her spokesperson, Mitchell Jackson, said she "appreciates indie artists using new tools to create independent art — especially in the age of big studio monopolies." She was "particularly impressed that they had such a large team and were involving and compensating so many artists, voice actors, and musicians," and believes in "supporting the right kind of culture around AI in cinema rather than acquiescing to the current model of having no standards."

London said Boucher authorized her license for free and refused payment — a fact her spokesperson confirmed. "She said, 'You guys are scrappy, just put that money towards the other actors [and] your film,'" London recalled.

The stance fits her record. In 2023 she launched Elf.Tech, an AI program letting fans use her vocal likeness in exchange for 50% of master recording royalties. In a 2024 PBS interview she called AI an "opportunity" for artists, saying democratized tools could let "actual talent, like, really rise to the top."

Boucher joins a small cohort of celebrities licensing their likenesses to AI, including UFC fighters in Higgsfield's "Cully Hill Boys" and Sunny Hostin's deal with Fountain 0 for AI adaptations of her novels, while Michael Caine licensed his voice to ElevenLabs. Her free cameo — alongside YouTuber Mike Majlak's brief appearance — sets a benchmark for how high-profile artists might engage with AI cinema on their own terms.