YouTube has abruptly terminated two powerhouse channels, Screen Culture and KH Studio, that racked up over 2 million subscribers and more than a billion views by peddling artificial intelligence-generated fake movie trailers. The move, detailed in a Deadline report, caps a year-long saga of escalating enforcement against deceptive content that blurred the line between fan fiction and official previews.

Visitors to the channels now encounter a stark message: ‘This channel has been terminated for violating YouTube’s Community Guidelines.’ The platforms, which specialized in fabricated trailers for upcoming blockbusters like Disney’s Marvel and Star Wars franchises, had already lost monetization privileges earlier in 2025 amid mounting complaints from studios. A Disney complaint appears to have been the final trigger, according to Cord Cutters News.

Screen Culture alone commanded 1.4 million subscribers, while KH Studio added another 700,000, their videos often surpassing 10 million views each. These channels thrived by mimicking studio polish, using AI tools to splice real footage with synthetic voices, actors, and effects, frequently omitting clear disclaimers until the final seconds.

The Rise of Deceptive Previews

The phenomenon exploded in 2023 as accessible AI video generators like Runway and Kling empowered creators to produce hyper-realistic fakes. Screen Culture’s trailer for a nonexistent ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ sequel drew 15 million views, fooling viewers into believing it was official Marvel footage. KH Studio similarly hyped phantom ‘Star Wars’ entries, capitalizing on fan hunger for updates.

Industry insiders note these videos distorted market intelligence. Studios tracked YouTube metrics for hype gauging, only to find AI slop inflating perceptions. ‘Fans were sharing these as real, shaping expectations for films that didn’t exist,’ said a Warner Bros. executive in a prior Deadline investigation from March.

YouTube’s initial response was lenient. Rather than strikes, major studios like Warner Bros., Sony, and Paramount opted to monetize the fakes, redirecting ad revenue via content ID claims—a pragmatic but controversial play that fueled the channels’ growth.

Monetization Crackdown Accelerates

By March 2025, pressure mounted. Deadline revealed YouTube suspended Screen Culture and KH Studio from its Partner Program, halting ad revenue. KH Studio’s founder defended the content, stating, ‘I’ve [put] everything into it. It’s tough to see it grouped under ‘misleading content’,’ as reported across platforms including posts on X.

The channels pivoted to alt accounts, but YouTube suspended those too by May, per Gizmodo. Demonetization slashed earnings—Screen Culture reportedly pulled in $10,000 monthly from ads alone, sources told MovieWeb.

Posts on X from users like @CultureCrave highlighted studio hypocrisy: ‘Warner Bros, Sony, and Paramount have monetized the fake AI YouTube trailers. Instead of copyright striking the videos, they’ve asked revenue to flow in their direction.’ This sentiment echoed industry frustration over platforms profiting from confusion.

Disney’s Breaking Point

The December terminations followed a specific Disney complaint, per Cord Cutters News, targeting trailers that misrepresented Marvel and Lucasfilm projects. ‘YouTube has taken decisive action by permanently terminating two channels accused of using artificial intelligence to produce deceptive movie trailers,’ the outlet reported. This aligned with broader Google policies updated in 2025 mandating AI disclosure labels.

Legal experts view it as a precedent. ‘These weren’t parodies; they were designed to deceive for views,’ noted entertainment lawyer Matthew Sag in discussions cited by Bleeding Cool. Disney’s involvement signals studios may escalate DMCA takedowns, shifting from revenue-sharing to eradication.

YouTube’s guidelines now classify undisclosed AI fakes as ‘misleading content,’ with repeat violations triggering channel bans. Enforcement relies on a mix of algorithmic detection and manual reviews, bolstered by studio flags.

Broader Platform Reckoning

The purge extends beyond these two. How-To Geek reports YouTube deleting similar channels daily, including fan-made ‘concept’ trailers lacking prominent disclaimers. ‘That Avengers: Doomsday trailer you saw probably wasn’t real,’ the site warned, urging viewers to check descriptions.

Analytics firm Tubular Labs data, referenced in San Francisco Chronicle, shows AI fakes accounted for 5% of top movie-related searches in 2025, amassing 500 million views quarterly. Their demise could redirect traffic to official channels, boosting studio engagement.

Creators lament overreach. Smaller fan channels with clear ‘AI concept’ labels persist, but KH Studio’s opaque style—disclaimers buried at video’s end—crossed into spam territory, per YouTube’s threshold of three strikes.

Studio Strategies Evolve

Studios are adapting. Paramount now partners with verified fan creators for official ‘what if’ content, while Warner Bros. launched AI disclosure mandates for promotional partners. ‘We’re protecting our IP and audience trust,’ a Sony spokesperson told Deadline in earlier coverage.

Monetization data underscores stakes: Fake trailers generated $500,000 annually across top channels before cuts, per Gizmodo estimates. Post-termination, affiliates scramble—some migrate to TikTok, where laxer rules prevail, though Meta’s similar crackdowns loom.

X discussions reveal divided opinions. @Dexerto posted: ‘YouTube reportedly disabled monetization for prominent fake AI movie trailer channels,’ sparking debates on creativity versus deception. Supporters argue AI demos democratize filmmaking; detractors call it ‘scummiest behavior,’ per @YoukaiNewsEN.

Future Enforcement Challenges

AI advances complicate detection. Tools like Sora produce indistinguishable fakes, evading current filters. YouTube’s 2025 parent Google I/O updates promised watermarking mandates, but compliance lags—only 20% of AI videos label properly, per internal audits cited in Fiction Horizon.

Global ramifications emerge. EU regulators probe under DSA transparency rules, while U.S. lawmakers eye FTC deceptive practice probes. ‘This is just the start,’ predicts Fiction Horizon.

For Hollywood, the episode highlights AI’s dual edge: tool for innovation, vector for misinformation. As YouTube polices its feeds, the $50 billion streaming ad market gains clarity—but at the cost of vibrant, if flawed, fan creativity.