Netflix has officially announced the acquisition of InterPositive, a filmmaking technology company founded by Ben Affleck. The company focuses on developing AI tools built specifically by and for filmmakers.
As part of this strategic acquisition, the entire InterPositive team will integrate into Netflix, with Affleck taking on the role of Senior Advisor to champion creator-led innovation and keep artists at the centre of the production process.
Affleck established InterPositive in 2022 after observing the limitations of early artificial intelligence models in professional production environments. Recognizing the necessity to protect the nuances of storytelling and the irreplaceable value of human judgment, he sought to create a system that respected the craft.
He assembled a specialised team of engineers, researchers, and creatives to develop a proprietary dataset. This data was captured on a controlled soundstage to accurately reflect authentic on-set vocabulary, predictable and unpredictable production challenges, and standard cinematic workflows.
As per the brand, the intensive research and development at InterPositive has resulted in deliberately smaller datasets and models trained specifically to understand visual logic and editorial consistency. Rather than focusing on replicating or altering human performances, the tools are designed to assist with real-world production challenges such as missing shots, background replacements, and lighting inconsistencies. Importantly, the system includes built-in safeguards to protect creative intent, ensuring the technology supports storytellers while keeping final decision making firmly in the hands of the artists.
By merging the specialised, creative-first technology of InterPositive with the extensive scaling experience of Netflix, the partnership aims to continue the historical legacy of evolving production tools responsibly.
Affleck expressed strong enthusiasm for the collaboration, noting that the shared values and complementary strengths of both organizations will ensure these tools are used with care. Looking ahead, the goal is to eventually provide the broader creative community with access to these purpose-built innovations.
Elizabeth Stone, Netflix Chief Product and Technology Officer, said, “Our approach to AI has always been focused on meaningfully serving the needs of the creative community and our members. The InterPositive team is joining Netflix because of our shared belief that innovation should empower storytellers, not replace them.”
“InterPositive’s impressive technology is purpose-built for filmmakers and showrunners to work with tools that naturally support their creative visions and how they want to bring them to life. We’re excited to welcome the InterPositive team to Netflix and continue building towards a future of entertainment where technology plays a part in how stories are made, but people and their ideas, craft and judgment remain at the core of great storytelling.” she added.
Bela Bajaria, Netflix Chief Content Officer (CCO), said, “Our relationship with artists has always been grounded in trust: supporting the full range of their creativity and ensuring they have the power to decide how their films and shows are made. We believe new tools should expand creative freedom, not constrain it or replace the work of writers, directors, actors, and crews.”
“Ben and his team at InterPositive are part of a long tradition in our industry of artists leading the way in how innovation is used in storytelling. Their work is about giving filmmakers more choices, more control and more protection for their vision. We’re excited to build on that legacy together, with creators and their artistic intentions at the center of everything we do.” she added.
