Google forms research partnership with A24 Films that’s focused on AI filmmaking tools

Google LLC is investing around $75 million into the independent movie studio A24 Films LLC in order to explore the potential of artificial intelligence further in the entertainment industry.

A24, which is known for hit movies like “Backrooms” and “Marty Supreme,” will gain access to Google’s DeepMind AI research laboratory as part of the deal, which is believed to be the first time the technology giant has ever invested in a film studio.

Google said in a blog post that the partnership with A24 represents the start of a “collaborative journey” that will be rooted in “research and shared curiosity.” The companies will initially focus on “bridging the gap between cutting-edge technology and next generation entertainment,” though their specific goals have not been determined at this time, but instead will “evolve,” depending on how that research goes. Variety, in a report, was a bit more specific, saying that Google plans to work with A24 to “build out new workflows.”

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, A24 partner Scott Belsky tried to reassure movie fans that the partnership isn’t entirely focused on ways AI can be used to generate movies from scratch. Instead, it’s primarily focused on how AI can be used to enhance the production process, he said, similar to Martin Scorsese’s use of AI storyboards to help create ideas for movies. It should be noted though, that Hollywood employs around 2,000 storyboard artists, whose livelihoods could be threatened by this deal. “We think there are better uses that preserve creative control and support risk-taking,” Belsky said. He added that whatever new tools are developed through this partnership “won’t look anything like the prompted generation type of AI that people feel uncomfortable with.”

One key detail of the agreement is that Google won’t be getting access to A24’s data or movie collection, but it remains to be seen if that will do much to satisfy critics of the deal, of which there are many. A24 has a reputation for fostering the emergence of young, up-and-coming filmmakers whose work resonates with younger audiences, and many of them have voiced disapproval about the use of AI technology. Kane Parsons, who directed Backrooms – A24’s highest-grossing film – has labeled AI as “genuinely harmful” and a symbol of “cultural and economic rot.”

Already, prominent voices in the entertainment business have spoken out against the partnership. Among them is the actor and director Justine Bateman, who noted the irony of the deal, considering how the studio profited immensely from the work of a “staunchly anti-AI Kane Parsons.”

“All A24 directors should prepare to have your films altered against your wishes with this deal,” Bateman said in a post on X. “Google is the company who bastardized ‘The Wizard of Oz’ for the Vegas Sphere run, inserting corporate CEO’s faces into the crowd, removing the director’s focus choices, etc.”

That said, A24 is no stranger to accepting money from controversial sources. Back in 2024, it received a hefty investment from Thrive Capital, which was founded by Jared Kushner, the favorite son-in-law of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Image: A24