Netflix Acquires Ben Affleck's AI Filmmaking Startup InterPositive
Netflix announced on March 5, 2026, that it has acquired InterPositive, an AI filmmaking technology company founded by Ben Affleck in 2022. The entire 16-person engineering team will join Netflix, with Affleck taking on a senior advisor role. Financial terms were not disclosed.
InterPositive developed AI-powered tools designed specifically for filmmakers rather than to replace creative professionals. The company's technology focuses on post-production challenges, including fixing continuity issues, adjusting lighting, handling background replacements, and addressing missing shots or incorrect lighting—all while preserving cinematic rules and visual logic.
Affleck founded InterPositive after considering AI's impact on filmmaking in 2022. He explicitly aimed to "preserve what makes human storytelling human, which is judgement" and protect creative decision-making. The company built restraints into its technology to ensure final creative decisions remain with artists.
Elizabeth Stone, Netflix's chief product and technology officer, stated that "innovation should empower storytellers, not replace them." The technology will be exclusively available to Netflix's creative partners rather than sold commercially, giving Netflix direct oversight over how the tools are applied.
The acquisition comes amid broader Hollywood skepticism about AI, with unions like SAG-AFTRA negotiating new AI protections for human talent. This deal represents Netflix's bet on AI-assisted filmmaking that augments rather than replaces human creators—a notable position in an industry still grappling with automation concerns.