Debug (film)

Debug is a 2014 Canadian science fiction horror film written and directed by David Hewlett. It stars Jeananne Goossen, Adrian Holmes, Adam Butcher, Kjartan Hewitt, Sidney Leeder, and Jadyn Wong as computer programmers who must deal with a hostile artificial intelligence on an interstellar spaceship. It was released on 3 November 2014 in the UK.

Six young computer programmers on work release are tasked to debug the artificial intelligence of an interstellar spaceship. Sensing danger, the AI fights back against the programmers.

Writer-director Hewlett was inspired by Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, which he saw as a child. Hewlett said that he wanted to make a film from the point of view of HAL 9000, the antagonist of that story. This idea was eventually rejected as too artistic, and the plot was retooled to be more similar to Final Destination. Hewlett said that he did not see HAL 9000 as evil, and he designed Iam to be defending his right to exist. Hewlett intentionally cast Momoa as the ship's AI against type. Momoa wanted to do a project different than his traditional roles, and Hewlett was impressed with Momoa's creativity and range; the two men had previously worked together on the sci-fi series Stargate Atlantis. Although there were concerns about the AI's name, Iam, Hewlett settled the disputes by stating that names are inherently subjective.

Production took place at Pinewood Toronto Studios, and was scheduled to run from 14 February to 8 March. Producer Steve Hoban, who previously collaborated with Hewlett on Vincenzo Natali's films, described it as "Final Destination meets Cube". In September 2014, Shock Till You Drop reported that it had completed production and was awaiting distribution.