Belen Edwards serves as an Entertainment Reporter at Mashable, where she specializes in covering films and television, particularly in the realms of fantasy and science fiction, adaptations, and animation—essentially all things nerdy. She is affiliated with the Critics Choice Association and the Television Critics Association, and her reviews are recognized by the Tomatometer.
In a significant financial move, Netflix has acquired Ben Affleck's AI startup, InterPositive, for over $500 million. The transaction, which took place in March and was reported in Netflix's Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, revealed that the streaming giant invested $587 million in cash for the deal. Although the report did not specify the name of the acquired company, the deal was confirmed publicly on March 5, with Bloomberg estimating the total price could approach $600 million.
Upon announcing the acquisition, Netflix framed its investment in InterPositive as a commitment to "creator-led innovation," a way to ensure that filmmakers remain central to the filmmaking process.
In the same announcement, Affleck shared his perspective: "In 2022, I spent considerable time observing the growing role of AI in production. As a filmmaker, I recognized the shortcomings of these early models. For artists to effectively use these tools in storytelling, they need to be specifically designed to capture and safeguard the elements that make a great narrative."
In a video accompanying the announcement, Affleck clarified that the focus of InterPositive was not on generic text prompts or generating content from scratch. Instead, he highlighted that the technology is tailored to each individual film, enhancing post-production tasks such as mixing and color grading. Affleck believes this approach allows filmmakers to concentrate more on performances in real-time.
Additionally, a patent application filed by Affleck in April suggested that InterPositive's innovative technology could lead to "substantial" cost savings. The application predicted it could replace expenses associated with background artists, splinter film units, and reshoots, potentially achieving a 20% reduction in production schedules and a 50% decrease in visual effects costs.
