What do extinct animals, artificial intelligence, Hollywood blockbusters and biodiversity have in common?<\/p>\n
At Cannes Lions 2025, the answer appeared to be imagination<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The session brought together Academy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson and Ben Lamm, CEO of Colossal Biosciences, the company behind ambitious efforts to revive extinct species including the woolly mammoth and Tasmanian tiger.<\/p>\n While the discussion touched on genetics, conservation and technology, it ultimately became a conversation about something far more universal: the importance of pursuing ideas that others initially dismiss as impossible.<\/p>\n For Peter Jackson, that theme has defined much of his career.<\/p>\n Looking back, he recalled being told that filming all three Lord of the Rings movies simultaneously was unrealistic.<\/p>\n Yet he did it anyway.<\/p>\n The same determination drove his investment in digital visual effects decades earlier.<\/p>\n While working on Heavenly Creatures in the early 1990s, Jackson became fascinated by emerging computer technology. Inspired by what he saw in Jurassic Park, he realised that digital effects would transform filmmaking.<\/p>\n Rather than waiting for the future to arrive, he decided to help build it.<\/p>\n That decision eventually led to the creation of Weta Digital, which would go on to become one of the world’s most respected visual effects studios.<\/p>\n “I love technology and how it can bring your dreams to life,” Jackson explained.<\/p>\n One of Jackson’s most remarkable examples involved his acclaimed documentary They Shall Not Grow Old.<\/p>\n Working with more than 200 hours of First World War archive footage, he set out to achieve something many considered impossible: make century-old footage feel contemporary.<\/p>\n The challenge was immense.<\/p>\n The grainy black-and-white images needed restoration, colourisation and modern sound design. At the outset, Jackson admitted he had little idea exactly how it would be achieved.<\/p>\n But that uncertainty did not stop him.<\/p>\n The goal came first.<\/p>\n The technology followed.<\/p>\n For Jackson, innovation often begins with asking what you want to accomplish rather than focusing on what currently exists.<\/p>\n Ben Lamm faces similar challenges in a very different field.<\/p>\n As the leader of Colossal Biosciences, he is helping drive research into de-extinction and species preservation, work that naturally attracts both fascination and scepticism.<\/p>\n One of the company’s biggest lessons has been that scientific breakthroughs alone are not enough.<\/p>\n People need to care.<\/p>\n That is why Colossal increasingly uses social media platforms including Instagram and TikTok to reach younger audiences.<\/p>\n Some critics argued that science belonged in academic journals rather than on social media.<\/p>\n Lamm disagreed.<\/p>\n Young people concerned about climate change and biodiversity loss are not necessarily reading scientific papers. They are discovering information through digital platforms.<\/p>\n To engage them, science has to meet them where they already are.<\/p>\n The Tasmanian tiger project became one example of that approach.<\/p>\n Rather than focusing exclusively on complex scientific explanations, Colossal sought to tell stories that would spark curiosity and emotional connection.<\/p>\n The company has also partnered with universities, researchers and brands to bring conservation issues to wider audiences.<\/p>\n Lamm argued that biodiversity loss is one of the defining challenges of our time, yet many people remain disconnected from the issue.<\/p>\n Storytelling can help bridge that gap.<\/p>\n Whether through a woolly mammoth, a dire wolf or a Tasmanian tiger, the goal is not simply to generate headlines but to inspire greater interest in protecting species that still exist today.<\/p>\n Despite coming from very different worlds, Jackson and Lamm repeatedly arrived at the same conclusion.<\/p>\n Technology is not the destination.<\/p>\n It is a tool.<\/p>\n For Jackson, technology enables filmmakers to tell stories in new ways.<\/p>\n For Lamm, it helps scientists solve problems that once seemed unsolvable.<\/p>\n Neither sees innovation as replacing human creativity.<\/p>\n Instead, technology expands what people are capable of imagining.<\/p>\n One of the most memorable aspects of the session was its optimism.<\/p>\n At a time when conversations about technology often focus on risks and disruption, both speakers argued for a more ambitious perspective.<\/p>\n The future belongs to people willing to attempt difficult things.<\/p>\n Whether creating groundbreaking films or advancing genetic science, progress often begins with an idea that sounds impossible.<\/p>\n As Cannes Lions delegates left the theatre, they had heard stories about extinct animals, digital effects and scientific breakthroughs.<\/p>\n But the real subject of the conversation was much simpler.<\/p>\n The power of imagination.<\/p>\n And what can happen when someone refuses to accept that something can’t be done.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What do extinct animals, artificial intelligence, Hollywood blockbusters and biodiversity have in common? At Cannes Lions 2025, the answer appeared to be imagination. The session brought together Academy Award-winning filmmaker […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15489,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[302,105],"tags":[860,777,795],"class_list":["post-15472","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-marketing-events","category-french-riviera-news","tag-ben-lamm","tag-cannes-lions","tag-peter-jackson"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Power of Ignoring “No”<\/h2>\n
Reimagining History<\/h2>\n
Bringing Science to Social Media<\/h2>\n
Making Conservation Relevant<\/h2>\n
Technology as a Creative Tool<\/h2>\n
Thinking Bigger<\/h2>\n