Netflix acquires Ben Affleck’s AI filmmaking startup InterPositive

Netflix has announced the acquisition of InterPositive, an AI-powered filmmaking technology company founded by Ben Affleck.

As part of the deal, the entire InterPositive team will join the streaming platform, while Affleck will serve as a senior advisor.

The move signals Netflix’s continued investment in creator-focused innovation, aiming to develop artificial intelligence tools that support filmmakers rather than replace them.

Affleck said the idea for InterPositive began in 2022 when he closely observed the early use of AI in film production and felt existing models failed to meet the needs of artists.

Working with engineers, researchers and creatives, Affleck’s team began filming a proprietary dataset on a controlled soundstage designed to replicate real production environments. The goal was to create tools that understood filmmaking language and production realities, including lighting changes, lens distortions and missing shots.

The resulting AI model focuses on visual logic and editorial consistency while preserving cinematic rules during real-world production challenges such as background replacements or incorrect lighting.

According to Affleck, the system was intentionally trained on smaller datasets centred on filmmaking techniques rather than performances, ensuring artists retain control over creative decisions.

Netflix Chief Product and Technology Officer Elizabeth Stone said the partnership reflects the company’s belief that innovation should empower storytellers.

“Our approach to AI has always been focused on meaningfully serving the needs of the creative community and our members,” Stone said, adding that InterPositive’s tools were designed specifically for filmmakers and showrunners to support their creative vision.

Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria also emphasised that new technology should expand creative freedom rather than replace the work of writers, directors, actors and crews.

Affleck said he was pleased that the technology would continue to evolve within Netflix, adding that the collaboration would help provide the broader creative community access to new filmmaking tools while keeping artistic intent at the centre of storytelling.