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Google is moving deeper into Hollywood through a new partnership with A24, one of the most closely watched independent film studios in the U.S.
The deal, valued at about $75 million, will focus on AI tools for filmmakers, including systems that could help generate storyboards and support early-stage production planning.
For A24, the agreement is not just a tech partnership. It is a brand test.
Details
• Google and A24 say the tools are meant to assist filmmakers, not replace them.
• The partnership is expected to focus on pre-production uses, such as visual planning and AI-assisted storyboarding.
• A24 is not expected to give Google access to its film and television library, a key point as studios face growing concern over the use of copyrighted work to train AI systems.
• The deal comes as Hollywood remains deeply divided over AI after years of labor tension around writers, actors, visual effects artists and creative ownership.
• Other studios have already moved in this direction. Lionsgate announced a 2024 partnership with Runway to help producers visualize films before greenlighting them.
• Netflix has also expanded into AI-assisted post-production through its acquisition of Ben Affleck’s AI post-production company.
• But not every Hollywood AI deal has held up. A reported Disney-OpenAI arrangement collapsed after OpenAI shut down its high-profile Sora video generation program.
• The biggest risk is reputational. A24 has built its following on filmmaker-driven work and a strong sense of artistic identity.
• Some artists linked to the studio, including Backrooms director Kane Parsons, have repeatedly criticized AI technology.
What to watch
The key question is how far A24 lets the tools go.
If the technology stays in planning rooms and helps artists move faster, the studio may sell the deal as a practical creative tool.
But if audiences or filmmakers see it as a step toward less human filmmaking, A24 could face backlash from the same fan base that made it a cultural brand.
