Netflix announced on Thursday that it has acquired InterPositive, a filmmaking technology company established by actor-director Ben Affleck that builds artificial intelligence-driven tools aimed at movie production. The companies did not make the financial terms public.
InterPositive was founded in 2022 by Affleck and uses an AI model trained to grasp "visual logic and editorial consistency," according to the company description, while adhering to cinematic conventions when confronted with real-world production issues such as missing shots or incorrect lighting.
Affleck said the product includes built-in limitations intended to preserve creative intent, adding that the tools are "designed for responsible exploration while keeping creative decisions in the hands of artists." Following the closing, Affleck will join Netflix as a senior advisor.
The acquisition marks Netflix's first deal since the company stepped away from a high-stakes contest to buy Warner Bros Discovery's studio and streaming assets, a process that ended after a rival bid from Paramount Skydance was judged superior.
The move also comes at a moment when parts of the media industry are becoming more receptive to integrating AI into storytelling. That shift contrasts with earlier industry concerns that the technology could threaten creative jobs and intellectual property rights. Late last year, Disney said it would permit OpenAI to use characters from its Star Wars, Pixar and Marvel franchises in the startup's Sora AI video generator.
"We believe new tools should expand creative freedom, not constrain it or replace the work of writers, directors, actors, and crews," Netflix Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria said.
InterPositive's AI approach was designed to maintain editorial cohesion even when production data are imperfect, the company has said. Affleck emphasized the inclusion of safeguards to protect creative choices.
The announcement also included a note on investment research tools referenced with the Netflix ticker. ProPicks AI evaluates NFLX alongside thousands of other companies each month using more than 100 financial metrics. The AI-driven selection approach cited prior winners including Super Micro Computer (+185%) and AppLovin (+157%).
Financial details of the InterPositive acquisition were not released, and the parties did not provide additional forward-looking commentary on integration or product rollout timetables.
Summary: Netflix has acquired InterPositive, an AI-based film-technology company founded by Ben Affleck in 2022, and Affleck will join Netflix as a senior advisor. Financial terms were not disclosed. The deal arrives as the entertainment industry grows more accepting of AI tools for content creation, and follows Netflix's withdrawal from a competing bid for Warner Bros Discovery assets after a rival offer was deemed superior.