On March 5, Netflix announced its acquisition of InterPositive, a filmmaking technology company co-founded by Academy Award winner Ben Affleck. This innovative firm specializes in developing AI-powered tools designed to enhance movie production.
The financial details of the transaction have not been made public.
The media industry is increasingly embracing the use of AI in content creation and storytelling, marking a significant shift from earlier anxieties in Hollywood regarding the potential impact of this technology on creative jobs and intellectual property rights.
In a related move last year, Disney revealed its plans to collaborate with OpenAI, allowing the startup to utilize characters from its popular Star Wars, Pixar, and Marvel franchises within its Sora AI video generation tool.
Netflix’s Chief Content Officer, Bela Bajaria, expressed, “We believe new tools should expand creative freedom, not constrain it or replace the work of writers, directors, actors, and crews.”
This acquisition marks Netflix’s first significant investment following its decision to withdraw from a competitive bid for Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio and streaming assets, as Paramount Skydance was ultimately deemed the winner.
InterPositive was founded in 2022 by Affleck, who aimed to create an AI model capable of understanding visual logic and ensuring editorial consistency, while also adhering to cinematic principles. This model tackles real-world production challenges, such as missing shots and lighting inaccuracies.
“We also built in restraints to protect creative intent, so the tools are designed for responsible exploration while keeping creative decisions in the hands of artists,” Affleck noted.
Following the acquisition, Ben Affleck will take on the role of senior advisor at Netflix.
(Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)
