From: https://www.thewrap.com/the-creator-beirut-explosion-footage/

“The Creator,” the new sci-fi film from New Regency and Disney’s 20th Century Studios directed by “Rogue One” filmmaker Gareth Edwards, blurs the line between reality and fantasy by including footage from the 2020 Beirut explosion in its tale of A.I. waging war on humanity.

Footage from the 2020 Beirut explosion, which happened at the Port of Beirut in Lebanon and led to 218 deaths and $15 billion worth of property damage, appears in the trailer for the film. It was first noticed by an eagle-eyed Reddit user on July 17. It was further elevated when popular YouTube channel Corridor Crew brought up the situation on their “VFX Artists React” series.

Like most big-budget effects movies, “The Creator” employed several vendors to bring its otherworldly landscape to life including Folks VFX, Industrial Light & Magic, MARZ, Misc Studios, Fin Design + Effects, Supreme Studio, Outpost VFX, Crafty Apes, Jellyfish Pictures, VFX Los Angeles, Frontier VFX, Outpost VFX and Clear Angle Studios.

It’s unclear which vendor worked on the controversial shot in question, and who made the decision to include the real-life footage in “The Creator.”

Video: The Creator vs. Beirut Explosion

Disney did not respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.

“The Creator,” previously known as “True Love” and set for theatrical release on Sept. 29, comes from Edwards, who directed 2014’s “Godzilla” and the micro-budgeted “Monsters” before “Rogue One.” The film, written by Edwards and Chris Weitz, is based on an original idea that envisions a future where man and machine are locked in bitter combat.

John David Washington plays a human freedom fighter who is sent to destroy a source of ultimate power for the robots. Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Allison Janney, Ralph Ineson and Sturgill Simpson (in a role originally meant for his “Righteous Gemstones” co-star Danny McBride) are among the supporting players.