Google Takes Indie Movie Company Stake To Create AI Filmmaking Tools
Google is investing millions of dollars into independent movie company A24 to create new artificial intelligence-powered tools for filmmaking, the Wall Street Journal first reported on Monday.
Google is shelling out roughly $75 million for its deal with A24, the WSJ reported, citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter. The partnership marks the first time Google has taken a stake in a film studio, according to the outlet. (RELATED: Google Files Lawsuit Against Chinese ‘Organized Cybercrime Operation’)
The newly announced partnership “creates a deep research and development collaboration between A24 and Google DeepMind spanning multiple projects over time,” according to a Monday blog post from Google’s The Keyword.
“By anchoring Google DeepMind’s innovations directly within the creative process, A24 and its filmmakers can help shape new technology in service of their vision and expand their storytelling possibilities,” the blog post says. “This hands-on collaboration provides Google DeepMind with invaluable feedback and guidance from leading artists. In addition, Google has made an investment in A24.”
“We believe the best way to develop tools that empower artists is to work directly with them,” Co-founder and CEO of Google DeepMind Demis Hassabis said in a statement. “By collaborating with filmmakers and industry leaders like A24 from the beginning, we can build new Al features to support artists in authentic, meaningful storytelling that helps enable their creative vision.”
A24 did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. A Google spokesperson referred the DCNF to the company’s blog post from Monday when reached for comment.
Google DeepMind 🤝 @A24
We’re launching a research partnership with A24 to ensure the tools of the future are shaped by the creators who use them. Find out more → https://t.co/KN3HdGVjGS pic.twitter.com/IUD7rkcRQS
— Google DeepMind (@GoogleDeepMind) June 22, 2026
“We think there are better uses that preserve creative control and support risk-taking,” A24 partner Scott Belsky told the WSJ, also claiming that the new AI tools “won’t look anything like the prompted generation type of AI that people feel uncomfortable with.”
Vice President of Product for Google DeepMind Eli Collins told the outlet that “we believe breakthroughs happen when you get technology into the hands of the best minds in the field.”
A24’s recent horror movie “Backrooms” became the studio’s first film to exceed $200 million in ticket sales worldwide, Variety reported on June 8. “Backrooms” Director Kane Parsons notably claimed during a recent interview with The Australian that AI is “genuinely harmful” to creativity in Hollywood, Deadline reported on June 3.
“I think I’m in the same boat as most well-adjusted people,” Parsons said, according to Deadline. “If I could snap my fingers and make generative AI disappear forever, I probably would. Creatively, I get no enjoyment from using those tools. It defeats the purpose entirely for me.”
“It’s quite disappointing that a company that just enjoyed the triumphant box office returns of staunchly anti-AI Kane Parsons’ BACKROOMS would make such a deal,” Filmmaker Justine Bateman wrote Monday in an X post in response to the news.
Amazon MGM Studios and Amazon Web Services announced the GenAI Creators’ Fund on May 27, which is a “joint initiative that gives creators of all styles and backgrounds access to professional-grade AI tools and funding” and “brings together established filmmakers, digital creators, and technology startups to produce high-quality cinematic entertainment.”
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