Google puts $75 million into A24 as DeepMind initiates a research partnership focused on AI filmmaking.

      Google is investing approximately $75 million in A24, the independent studio known for recent successes like Backrooms and Obsession, as part of a new AI research collaboration with Google DeepMind. This investment, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, represents Google's first equity share in a film studio.

      The partnership provides A24 filmmakers direct access to DeepMind’s research facilities, while DeepMind benefits from immediate input from working directors as it develops new creative tools. DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis stated that the aim is to create tools that empower artists by collaborating with them from the outset instead of developing in isolation.

      Importantly, the agreement does not allow Google to access A24’s existing film and TV library or its content data. The partnership is structured as a multiyear, nonexclusive research agreement, meaning A24 is not restricted to using only Google’s tools, and Google cannot train models using the studio’s catalog.

      One early initiative at A24 Labs involves utilizing AI to create storyboards, the preliminary visual sketches that directors use to plan scenes before filming. Scott Belsky, an A24 partner heading the studio's technology division, noted to the Journal that this partnership stands apart from other AI collaborations in Hollywood because many AI developers erroneously present their products as methods to produce films at a lower cost and faster pace, rather than improving quality.

      The investment comes as Hollywood’s approach to AI evolves quickly. Netflix acquired Ben Affleck’s stealth AI filmmaking startup, InterPositive, in March, gaining exclusive post-production tools based on actual footage. Following this, Netflix launched INKubator, an internal animation studio focused on AI, staffed with producers and engineers.

      In June, Martin Scorsese joined AI image startup Black Forest Labs as an advisor, using its FLUX model to create storyboards for his upcoming film featuring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence. OpenAI is backing Critterz, an AI-assisted animated feature under $30 million that was presented at Cannes and produced within a nine-month timeframe, which typically takes years in traditional animation.

      A24 holds a unique position in the AI discussion. Over the past decade, the studio has developed one of the most recognizable brands in independent film, with various sources indicating that more than half of moviegoers see themselves as fans of the studio rather than just individual films. A24 is also gearing up for its most ambitious production yet, an Elden Ring adaptation directed by Alex Garland with a budget rumored to exceed $100 million.

      This agreement comes just days after Amazon pulled its nearly completed Sam Altman biopic, reportedly due to the film’s negative portrayal of its $50 billion OpenAI investment partner. This incident highlights how financial relationships between tech companies and studios can lead to editorial conflicts, a challenge the Google-A24 partnership will need to address as the tools it develops become part of actual productions.

      For Google, the $75 million investment is relatively modest compared to its overall AI expenditure, which Alphabet projects will reach $175 billion to $185 billion in capital expenditures by 2026. However, the strategic significance lies in positioning DeepMind as the AI partner that filmmakers prefer rather than resist, an important consideration amid ongoing labor negotiations in the industry regarding AI usage.