Prime Highlights :
- Netflix acquired AI filmmaking startup InterPositive for about $587 million.
- The company is using AI to support filmmakers, not replace them.
Key Facts :
- InterPositive was founded by Ben Affleck in 2022.
- Netflix now uses AI workflows across around 300 productions.
Background :
InterPositive, an AI film-making company established by actor Ben Affleck, has been acquired by Netflix for about $587 million. This acquisition made by Netflix in March 2026 is seen as an effort by Netflix to make use of AI technologies in making films while leaving creativity up to the filmmakers.
The acquisition appeared in Netflix’s latest filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission as a business combination. Although the filing did not name the company, Netflix had announced the purchase of InterPositive earlier in March.
Affleck founded InterPositive in 2022 to develop AI tools that help filmmakers during production and post-production. The company designed its technology to speed up editing and solve production issues such as missing shots, lighting errors and background replacement without affecting creative control. It trained its first AI model using a proprietary dataset created on a controlled soundstage.
After the acquisition, Affleck joined Netflix as a senior adviser. The startup’s 16-member team of engineers, researchers and creative specialists also became part of Netflix to continue developing AI tools for filmmaking.
Netflix has been expanding the use of generative AI across its productions. Co-CEO Ted Sarandos said AI workflows are now used in around 300 Netflix projects, mainly during post-production. He said the documentary series The American Experiment, backed by Tom Hanks, used 17 minutes of AI-enhanced footage that was completed in half the time and at half the cost of traditional methods.
Sarandos said AI is meant to support filmmakers, not replace them. He added that talented artists will continue to create films, while AI gives them better tools to improve the production process.