Netflix acquires Ben Affleck-backed AI filmmaking startup InterPositive

Netflix said on Thursday morning that it is acquiring InterPositive, a filmmaking technology startup launched in 2022 by actor Ben Affleck.

The deal fits with Netflix’s broader approach to generative AI in filmmaking. The company has already used generative AI for special effects in some of its original productions and has told investors that it is “very well positioned to leverage ongoing advances in AI effectively.”

In a statement, Affleck said he began thinking in 2022 about the ways AI could shape the future of filmmaking. He said his goal was to “preserve what makes human storytelling human, which is judgment,” while also working to “protect the power of human creativity.”

InterPositive is not focused on creating AI actors or synthetic performances. Instead, the company has developed a model to help production teams use footage from their own projects to improve post-production editing, including fixing continuity issues, adjusting lighting, and enhancing the environment.

“Intensive research and development led to our first model, trained to understand visual logic and editorial consistency, while preserving cinematic rules under real-world production challenges such as missing shots, background replacements or incorrect lighting,” Affleck wrote.

“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 — and ensuring that the benefits of this technology flow directly back to the story they’re trying to tell.”

As part of the acquisition, Affleck will join Netflix as a senior adviser. The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.

“Our approach to AI has always been focused on meaningfully serving the needs of the creative community and our members,” said Elizabeth Stone, Netflix’s chief product and technology officer, in a statement. “The InterPositive team is joining Netflix because of our shared belief that innovation should empower storytellers, not replace them.”