Netflix acquires Ben Affleck’s InterPositive to boost filmmaking AI
Netflix acquires InterPositive, the AI-driven filmmaking startup founded by Ben Affleck
Dubai: Netflix has taken a significant step into film technology by acquiring InterPositive, a filmmaking software company founded by Academy Award‑winning actor and director Ben Affleck.
The deal was announced on 5 March 2026, and marks one of Netflix’s rare purchases of an outside creative technology company. Founded in 2022, InterPositive is a small Los Angeles‑based company that develops artificial‑intelligence‑powered tools aimed at helping filmmakers improve key elements of production and post‑production.
Its technology is built to work with actual footage from a film or TV production, addressing practical challenges such as lighting adjustments, color correction, missing shots, and other editorial tasks that traditionally require intensive manual work.
Stay updated: Get the latest faster by downloading the Gulf News app - it's completely free. Click here for Apple or here for Android. You can also find it on the Huawei AppGallery.
Instead of generating video from text prompts or creating entirely new content from scratch, InterPositive’s systems are trained on real production data captured on controlled film sets. This allows the tools to “understand visual logic and editorial consistency,” ensuring that enhancements remain true to a project’s specific style and cinematic intent.
In announcing the acquisition, Netflix said the entire InterPositive team, including engineers, researchers and creatives, will join its workforce. Affleck himself will take on a new role as senior adviser within the company, helping guide the integration of the technology and its development going forward.
Variety reported that Netflix executives emphasized that their approach to AI remains focused on supporting storytellers rather than replacing them. Bela Bajaria, Netflix Chief Content Officer, said the company believes technological tools should “expand creative freedom, not constrain it or replace the work of writers, directors, actors, and crews.”
InterPositive was created from Affleck’s perspective as a working filmmaker. He observed early AI systems failing to capture the subtleties of real film production and set out to build tools that serve practical needs on set and in post‑production without sidelining artistic judgment.
Stay updated: Get the latest faster by downloading the Gulf News app - it's completely free. Click here for Apple or here for Android. You can also find it on the Huawei AppGallery.
Article contributed by Saarangi Aji
