Netflix Snaps Up Ben Affleck’s AI Filmmaking Start-Up, Star to Advise Streamer

Netflix has acquired InterPositive, the AI filmmaking start-up founded by Ben Affleck, in a move that aims to put new technology directly in the hands of filmmakers. Affleck, who launched the company in 2022, will serve as a senior adviser to Netflix and help guide how the AI tools are used in production.

The full 16-person InterPositive team, made up of engineers, creatives, and researchers, will join Netflix as part of the acquisition. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Unlike other AI platforms that generate content from scratch, InterPositive is designed to work alongside filmmakers. Affleck explained in a Netflix video, “AI, people mostly think of it as making something from nothing: ‘I’m gonna type something into a computer and it’s gonna give me a movie.’ That’s not what this is.”

Instead, the system builds AI models based on existing production footage, then allows directors and editors to use the technology for tasks like color mixing, relighting shots, or adding visual effects.

Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria emphasized the creative focus of the technology. “Our relationship with artists has always been grounded in trust: supporting the full range of their creativity and ensuring they have the power to decide how their films and shows are made,” she said.

“We believe new tools should expand creative freedom, not constrain it or replace the work of writers, directors, actors and crews. Ben and his team at InterPositive are part of a long tradition in our industry of artists leading the way in how innovation is used in storytelling.”

Elizabeth Stone, Netflix’s chief product and technology officer, added that most generative AI tools today don’t consider filmmakers’ needs. “The InterPositive team is joining Netflix because of our shared belief that innovation should empower storytellers, not replace them,” she said. “Their technology is purpose-built for filmmakers and showrunners to work with tools that naturally support their creative visions.”

Affleck shared the origins of InterPositive, describing how he wanted to create AI tools that respect the human side of filmmaking. “For artists to apply these tools towards telling the stories we dedicate our lives to, they need to be purpose-built to represent and protect all the qualities that make a great story,” he said.

He added that preserving human judgment is essential: “We also need to preserve what makes storytelling human, which is judgment. The kind that takes decades to build, experience to hone and that only people can have.”

The AI system was developed on a controlled soundstage to capture realistic production conditions and provide filmmakers with tools that fit seamlessly into their existing workflows.

Affleck described how the AI models were trained to maintain visual logic, editorial consistency, and cinematic rules while allowing creative exploration. “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,” he said.

Netflix will offer InterPositive technology to its creative partners but does not plan to sell it commercially. Affleck expressed excitement about the partnership, saying, “I couldn’t be happier for this work to continue with the team at Netflix, and look forward to providing the broader creative community with access to what we build and the future we’re working towards together.”

This acquisition signals Netflix’s commitment to blending innovation and artistry in filmmaking. It shows a different approach to AI, one that supports human creativity rather than trying to replace it.

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