Google's $75M A24 Deal Funds AI Filmmaking Tools
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- A24 and Google struck an AI research partnership tied to a roughly $75 million Google investment, matching what Thrive Capital put in during A24's last funding round, the Wall Street Journal reported.
- Google DeepMind researchers will work directly with A24 to build new filmmaking workflows, granting the studio access to DeepMind's research and infrastructure — though the deal does not give Google access to A24's content library or data.
- A24 Labs, the studio's technology division led by partner Scott Belsky, is developing AI-generated storyboard applications and other tools Belsky said are designed to 'preserve creative control and support risk-taking' rather than make films 'cheaper and faster.'
- The deal places A24 in a growing cluster of tech-Hollywood AI pacts, joining Disney's short-lived OpenAI character-licensing deal (which came as Disney sued AI firms for copyright infringement), Lionsgate's expanded Runway AI partnership, and Netflix's earlier purchase of Ben Affleck's AI startup InterPositive.
- Eli Collins, DeepMind's vice president of product, told the Journal the partnership reflects a belief that 'breakthroughs happen when you get technology into the hands of the best minds in the field.'
- The agreement lands as Pew Research data shows roughly half of adults under 30 believe AI will harm society — a critical audience for A24, given that PostTrak figures show 85% of opening-weekend audiences for its recent hit 'Backrooms' were under 35.
Why it matters: A24 is one of Hollywood's most prestige-driven studios, and its $75 million Google DeepMind deal signals that top filmmakers want AI tools that 'preserve creative control' rather than cut costs. With Netflix, Disney, and Lionsgate all making AI moves, A24's storyboard-first approach positions it as the creative-credibility alternative — critical given roughly half of under-30s believe AI harms society.
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