Google invests $75M in A24 to develop AI filmmaking tools despite industry resistance

Google invests in A24 to build AI movie tools

Google's DeepMind AI lab is teaming up with A24 to develop new movie production technologies that aim to help future filmmakers "expand their storytelling possibilities." As part of this new research and development collaboration, The Wall Street Journal reports that Google is investing "around $75 million" into A24, marking the first time the search giant has taken a stake in a film studio. "The collaboration pairs a world-leading research lab with the industry's most filmmaker-forward studio to help artists develop new workflows and techniques," Google said in its announcement blog. "This ensures the tools of the future are shaped by the creators who use them." The partnership is expected to span across "multiple projects over time" according to Google, though the announcement doesn't mention any specific movies that Google will be involved with. WSJ reports that Google and A24 are aiming to create new tools for movie production and distribution, something that Google alluded to in its own announcement, saying the "initial focus is on bridging the gap between cutting-edge technology and next generation entertainment." The multiyear deal is non-exclusive, according to WSJ, and doesn't allow Google to access A24's film and television library data. Still, the partnership is likely to raise some eyebrows in the film industry, given that Google's AI models are trained on publicly available internet data, and how ferociously other movie studios like Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros have fought AI companies for alleged copyright violations. WSJ also reports that Google and A24 are hoping to include the movie studio's existing roster of artists in the deal, such as YouTube creator and Backrooms director, Kane Parsons. In an interview with The Australian earlier this month, Parsons said that "generative AI feels less like innovation than a symptom of a broader cultural and economic rot," and that he gets "no enjoyment" out of using the technology on any project. According to Scott Belsky -- an A24 partner who was previously Adobe's chief strategy officer -- the tools that Google and A24 are developing "won't look anything like the prompted generation type of AI that people feel uncomfortable with." In his statement to WSJ, Belsky said "there are better uses that preserve creative control and support risk-taking."

A24 takes on Google money help build AI tools - Engadget

A24 takes on Google money help build AI tools One imagines Kane Parsons is less than pleased. Google is investing $75 million in the film studio A24 and the companies are teaming up to develop, wait for it, AI tools. Google says the "partnership aims to expand what is possible in the future of entertainment." The multiyear deal doesn't give Google access to A24's library of film and television, so we won't have to suffer through a sloppified sequel to Marty Supreme just yet. Instead, the companies will develop tools that assist with various aspects of filmmaking. A representative from A24 told The Wall Street Journal that the tools "won't look anything like the prompted generative type of AI that people feel uncomfortable with." Instead, the first application will be something that uses AI to generate storyboards. The companies hope to eventually get these tools in the hands of A24's stable of filmmakers. "We believe breakthroughs happen when you get technology into the hands of the best minds in the field," said Eli Collins, a vice president of product for DeepMind. As an aside, there are at least 2,000 working storyboard artists in the Hollywood system who probably would like to continue engaging in their trade. A24 has a reputation as a studio for emerging filmmakers that resonate with young audiences. These people tend to dislike AI. Kane Parsons, who directed Backrooms -- the studio's highest-grossing film by a wide margin -- has called the technology "genuinely harmful" and a signifier of "cultural and economic rot." This could fly under the radar, as the forthcoming tech is being pitched as assistive in nature and not a replacement for filmmakers. This approach reminds me of Ben Affleck's AI startup, which was recently acquired by Netflix. That team is building a suite of tools that help with post-production stuff, like color-mixing and relighting. As another certainly unrelated aside, there are around 400 colorists in the Hollywood system and roughly 2,800 active union members working as professional set lighting technicians and operators. Just a fact worth knowing about showbiz! This has been an absolute bang-up year for A24. Backrooms made over $300 million, making it the company's most successful film ever. Marty Supreme made nearly $200 million and nabbed a bunch of Oscar nominations. A24's revenue has more than doubled in the past two years and the company was recently valued at $3.5 billion.

Google DeepMind and A24 team up on AI tools for filmmakers -- what does this mean for movies?

At least one movie producer is putting aside quarrels with AI giants. Google DeepMind has forged a partnership with indie movie studio A24 to help artists develop AI "workflows and techniques." The alliance will see the two companies collaborate on research and development across numerous projects. A24 and filmmakers will help create technology that "expand[s] their storytelling possibilities," according to the companies. Google DeepMind, in turn, hopes for "invaluable feedback and guidance" from artists. Everything Everywhere All at Once R Action Adventure Science Fiction Release Date March 24, 2022 Runtime 140 minutes Director Daniel Scheinert, Daniel Kwan Powered by Expand Collapse Google adds that it has "made an investment" in A24 but hasn't shared more. The Wall Street Journal sources claim the funding is worth about $75 million. How-To Geek has asked for details and will update the story if the company can share more. Google DeepMind CEO Denis Hassabis said in a statement that his firm believes the AI team-up will back artists producing "authentic, meaningful storytelling that helps enable their creative vision." What will Google DeepMind and A24 do for movies? Expect AI to slip into more indie movies The Google DeepMind partnership doesn't mean that A24 movies will turn into AI slop. The industry has routinely fought against what it sees as abuses of AI, including copyright violations in generated material as well as attempts to replace human talent with digital counterparts. The move theoretically helps A24 make better use of AI while limiting its dangers. While the companies aren't saying what their projects involve, it could lead to AI-generated audio and video (such as transitional scenes) and more automation in movie production. Filmmakers might accomplish more with tight budgets. A24's Undertone is the scariest movie of 2026 -- find out what inspired the director's horror film Ian Tuason talks to HTG about his feature film debut. Posts By Dan Girolamo Google DeepMind has clear commercial interests. The collaboration could make it a staple of movie production at A24 and potentially convince other studios to follow suit. That could theoretically squeeze out both AI heavyweights like Anthropic and OpenAI as well as video-specific brands like Kling AI, Luma AI, and Runway. Some of these competitors are already working with Hollywood, such as Runway's deal to train AI on Lionsgate movies. Deals Save on AI tools and creative software deals today Explore discounts on AI subscriptions, creative software, cloud rendering credits, and filmmaking plugins to stretch budgets and speed production. Browse top deals to save on tools, services, and accessories that support modern media workflows. Deals Explore Software, AI & Subscriptions Deals If Google doesn't get involved, it risks losing a foothold in the creative space even as it develops advanced generative models like Gemini Omni. The pact could ensure that technological progress pays off, particularly given A24's reputation for award-winning movies like Everything Everywhere All at Once and The Brutalist.

A24 and Google DeepMind to Form an AI Venture

A24 is getting into the AI game, inking a joint venture with Google DeepMind. The film studio and the Google AI lab will develop AI tools together that can be used by the studio's filmmakers and also funnel back into the Google ecosystem. The news was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. As part of the deal DeepMind will invest $75 million in the project. DeepMind has collaborations with individual filmmakers like Darren Aronofsky, but this is the first known partnership with a full-fledged studio. Google is one of the few tech giants to have a video generator, the well-regarded Veo, and the deal is likely to further involve them in that game "We believe the best way to develop tools that empower artists is to work directly with them," Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis said in a statement posted on Google's website. "By collaborating with filmmakers and industry leaders like A24 from the beginning, we can build new AI features to support artists in authentic, meaningful storytelling that helps enable their creative vision." Meanwhile the deal catches up A24 to where some of its competitors have already landed, with Netflix and Prime Video developing tools for filmmakers and Lionsgate building models in collaboration with startup payer Runway AI. The move is sure to accelerate the advent of AI into movies and television we watch, while also deepening a debate about how, or if, directors, should use these weighted models as part of their workflow. Some noted auteurs have taken a decided no to that stance, but a growing group of A-listers seem at least willing to entertain it. The announcement fits A24's brand as a forward-looking entertainment company while also figuring in interestingly to the biggest theatrical success in its history, Kane Parsons' Backrooms, which came out last month. The film was of course directed by a filmmaker who honed his craft and built an audience on a Google/YouTube platform, while influencers themselves are expected to use more AI tools in the coming year. More to come.