LOS GATOS, Calif., March 6, 2026, 05:34 PST
Netflix Inc has acquired InterPositive, the AI film-tech startup launched by Ben Affleck, bringing the streamer further into the nuts and bolts of movie production—not just distribution. Netflix did not reveal what it paid for the deal. Affleck is set to step in as a senior advisor, according to the company.
The timing is notable—it lands just days after Netflix stepped back from pursuing Warner Bros Discovery, opting against a much larger, more expensive acquisition. Investors liked the move. Ben Barringer, who leads technology research at Quilter Cheviot, described the decision to drop Warner as a “tick in the box” for showing discipline. Reuters
The deal comes as Hollywood’s approach to AI enters a new phase. Back in December, Disney put $1 billion into OpenAI, giving Sora—the video tool—access to Star Wars, Pixar, and Marvel characters. Unions weren’t silent; they flagged worries about how creators would be paid, who gives permission, and who’s in charge.
Netflix pitched Thursday’s deal as a move putting creators front and center. The company described InterPositive as a way to “protect and expand creative choice.” Chief Product and Technology Officer Elizabeth Stone said the goal is to “empower storytellers, not replace them.” Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria also weighed in, saying the new tools should “expand creative freedom.” Netflix
Affleck insists the software isn’t for creating synthetic actors. The focus is post-production — specifically, it’s built to help teams clean up continuity slips, lighting hiccups, and background issues by working with footage shot on set.
But competition isn’t letting up. Last week, Paramount Skydance clinched Warner Bros Discovery for $110 billion after Netflix opted not to increase its bid, forging a heavyweight pairing that now includes HBO, CNN, CBS, and a film archive topping 15,000 titles.
Netflix isn’t lacking for heft. By the close of 2025, its subscriber count reached 325 million. In January, the company projected 2026 revenue between $50.7 billion and $51.7 billion, and it’s looking for ad revenue to jump to roughly $3 billion, nearly double, as live event offerings push past U.S. borders.
Amazon MGM is following suit, pushing ahead with an in-house AI Studio and gearing up for a closed beta in March. The goal: tools that drive down production costs and ramp up the pace for TV and film work. The company insists people remain part of the process at each phase.
Still, it’s a high-voltage wager. As Hollywood workers scramble to pick up AI skills—despite widespread anxiety over job losses and muddied authorship—Netflix faces pressure. Unless the company can prove its AI tools support editors and directors rather than replace them, it risks sparking the same kind of pushback that’s dogged AI in other sectors.
