Google and A24 Form AI Filmmaking Research Partnership
June 22, 2026
Google DeepMind has announced a research-and-development partnership with A24, the independent film studio, to explore new AI-powered workflows and tools for filmmaking. According to The Wall Street Journal, Google is investing roughly $75 million; DeepMind has not confirmed the figure.
As Hollywood remains divided over the use of AI in movies, Google is positioning the deal as a “first-of-its-kind” partnership focused on research.
Inside the DeepMind-A24 Partnership
On June 22, Google described the collaboration as a first-of-its-kind research partnership spanning multiple projects over time.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Google’s investment is about $75 million, in line with what Thrive Capital put into A24’s previous funding round.
“We believe the best way to develop tools that empower artists is to work directly with them,” said Demis Hassabis, co-founder of DeepMind and CEO of Google DeepMind.
Reports note that the deal does not give Google access to A24’s content library or its data. A24 is known for films such as “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” along with recent titles like “Marty Supreme” and “Backrooms,” and has worked in recent years with prominent actors including Timothée Chalamet and Anne Hathaway.
AI Moves Into a Divided Hollywood
A24 is not the first studio to bring AI into film production. Earlier this year, Netflix announced it was acquiring InterPositive, a company founded by Ben Affleck that builds AI tools for filmmakers.
Last year, Amazon MGM Studios launched an AI unit dedicated to developing tools for television and movie production.
At the same time, unease about AI runs deep in Hollywood. According to reports, A24 frames the partnership not as a way to cut costs or speed up production, but as an effort to build tools filmmakers can use while keeping creative control.
Reports say A24 Labs is developing uses such as AI-generated storyboards, though which tools will emerge from this partnership, and when, has not been disclosed. According to reports, Scott Belsky, who leads A24 Labs, said the studio sees “better uses that preserve creative control and support risk-taking.”
Why Google Is Teaming Up With a Studio on AI Research
According to multiple reports, this is the first time Google has taken a stake in a movie studio. Google, an Alphabet subsidiary, already owns YouTube, but a direct investment in a production studio marks a wider push into AI for film and video.
Generative AI for video and filmmaking support has become a more contested field, spurred by video-generation models such as OpenAI’s Sora.
For DeepMind, the aim is to bring its research into real production settings and refine its tools based on feedback from working artists. With resistance to AI-generated footage still common across the industry, the test will be whether the two can build tools that filmmakers actually adopt.
The specific outputs and timeline have not been disclosed, and the companies say the substance of the partnership will take shape over time.
What to Watch Next
The companies say the specific goals, technical outputs, and creative milestones will evolve over time, so it remains undisclosed which tools will appear and when. Whether A24’s filmmakers actually use the tools in their work is another open question. As Hollywood’s debate over AI continues, the results this partnership delivers will be closely watched.
Sources
Google – Google DeepMind and A24 announce first-of-its-kind research partnership
Variety – Google Invests $75 Million in A24 to Develop AI-Powered Filmmaking Tools
The Hollywood Reporter – A24 and Google DeepMind to Form an AI Venture
TechCrunch – Google DeepMind bets $75M on AI’s future in Hollywood with A24 deal
