A24 has apparently decided that it is only in the business of distributing the film Ex Machina it’s not enough – you have to make it real. Film production and distribution is my favorite entered into an agreement with Google which will see the tech giant invest $75 million in the studio as part of what is being positioned as a partnership in artificial intelligence research.
What does that mean? According to Google’s press release, it looks like the A24 will have access to Google’s DeepMind lab and the brains inside to use a bunch of buzzwords. “The partnership is the start of a collaborative journey based on research and shared curiosity. While the initial focus is on bridging the gap between cutting-edge technology and next-generation entertainment, the specific goals, technical deliverables and creative milestones of this initiative will evolve over time,” Google said. Variety reported something a little more specific, at least stating that the Google team will work with A24 to create new workflows.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, A24 partner Scott Belsky said that, unlike other Hollywood studios that have gotten into bed with AI companies, this deal won’t focus on offering ways to use AI in the moviemaking process. Instead, it will focus on incorporating technology into the production process, unlike the recent Martin Scorsese approval of the use of artificial intelligence for storyboarding (which, it should be remembered, is a creative field which hires people who are likely to be displaced on this technology).
A24 partner Scott Belsky offered a little more detail in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. Unlike other Hollywood studios that partner with AI companies, he said, A24 isn’t looking for ways to use AI to make movies on its own. Instead, the agreement will focus on incorporating the technology into manufacturing workflows—similar to Martin Scorsese’s recent endorsement of AI storyboarding (which, it should be remembered, is a creative field which hires people who can be displaced industry on this technology.
“We believe there are better uses that preserve creative control and support risk-taking,” he told the magazinearguing that the new tools “won’t look quite like the kind of prompting AI that people feel uncomfortable with.”
It’s important to note that Google reportedly won’t be able to access the A24’s content library or data, so you probably won’t be able to use Google’s Nano Banana image generation tool to create your own version of “Backrooms” (well, not officially at least — we know copyrighted material has a habit find your way into the training data of these models).
It’s little consolation that A24, one of the few studios in Hollywood primarily focused on original voices and ideas, has ended up in the pocket of Big Tech venture capitalists. Back in 2024, the studio occupied a a solid investment from Thrive Capital, which was founded by Donald Trump’s favorite son-in-law, Jared Kushner. It’s all just a nice reminder that it costs money to make movies, and most of the people who have money are shit.