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Google invests $75M in A24 to build AI filmmaking tools, starting with storyboards

The indie studio beloved by young, AI-skeptical audiences is partnering with Google DeepMind on a multiyear, nonexclusive deal spanning production, postproduction, and distribution — and it's already navigating a creative tension.

Published ...Updated ...6 sources0 Reddit4 web85% confidence

What matters

Google is investing approximately $75 million in A24 — its first equity stake in a film studio — under a multiyear, nonexclusive DeepMind partnership covering production, postproduction, and distribution.
The first tool in development at A24 Labs is an AI storyboard generator; A24 says the tools won't resemble prompted generative AI.
The deal does not grant Google access to A24's film and TV library or content data for model training.
DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis said the goal is to build tools that empower artists by working with them from day one.
A24's audience and some filmmakers are notably AI-skeptical; Backrooms director Kane Parsons has called AI 'genuinely harmful.'

What happened

Google is investing roughly $75 million in A24, the independent studio behind films like Backrooms and Obsession, as part of a multiyear, nonexclusive research partnership with Google DeepMind. The deal, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, marks Google's first equity stake in a film studio.

The partnership pairs DeepMind researchers with A24 teams to explore AI tools across production, postproduction, and distribution. An early project is already underway at an internal unit called A24 Labs: an AI system that generates storyboards — the rough visual sketches directors use to plan scenes before cameras roll.

A24 has drawn a line around what the tools will and won't do. A representative told the Journal that the tools "won't look anything like the prompted generative type of AI that people feel uncomfortable with." The deal also does not give Google access to A24's existing film and television library or its content data, meaning Google cannot train models on the studio's catalogue.

DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis said the goal is to develop tools that empower artists by working with them from day one rather than building in isolation. Eli Collins, a vice president of product for DeepMind, added: "We believe breakthroughs happen when you get technology into the hands of the best minds in the field."

The investment comes after A24's prior funding round with Thrive, which valued the company at approximately $3.5 billion, according to World of Reel.

Why it matters

A24 occupies a unique position in the film industry: a prestige, auteur-driven studio whose audience skews young and culturally attuned — and notably AI-skeptical. That makes this partnership a test case for whether AI tools can be introduced into creative workflows without alienating the very filmmakers and fans who define the brand.

The deal's structure reflects that tension. By ruling out library access and prompted generative output, A24 and Google are positioning the collaboration as narrow, workflow-assistive AI rather than content-generation AI. Storyboarding is a well-scoped, high-cost pre-production step; AI assistance here is less politically charged than generative scriptwriting or visual content creation.

Still, the partnership signals a broader normalization of AI in auteur-driven filmmaking — moving from behind-the-scenes experimentation to direct influence over how stories are developed and distributed. Engadget noted that there are at least 2,000 working storyboard artists in the Hollywood system who may view the tool as a threat to their craft.

The nonexclusive structure means A24 is not locked into using only Google's tools, and Google cannot train models on A24's catalogue — guardrails that reduce both backlash risk and regulatory exposure.

Public reaction

No Reddit or public discussion threads were available at the time of publication. However, editorial coverage and industry commentary reflected notable skepticism. Engadget's reporting adopted a pointed tone, noting that A24's highest-grossing director, Backrooms filmmaker Kane Parsons, has publicly called AI "genuinely harmful." World of Reel reported that "people are upset" about the partnership and framed it as a major AI lab formally entangling itself with a respected, auteur-driven studio.

What to watch

Filmmaker adoption: Will A24's directors actually use the storyboard tool, or will some refuse on principle?
Scope creep: Will the partnership remain limited to workflow assistance, or expand toward generative content in postproduction or distribution?
Audience response: How will A24's young, AI-skeptical fanbase react to the brand's embrace of Google-backed AI?
Category signal: If this deal validates a "narrow AI for creative workflows" segment, expect other studios and tech companies to pursue similar non-generative, IP-ring-fenced partnerships.

Sources

Public reaction

No Reddit or public discussion threads were available at the time of publication. Editorial coverage from Engadget and World of Reel reflected significant skepticism, highlighting A24's internal tension with AI-critical filmmakers and broader industry worry about AI normalization in auteur-driven cinema.

Signals

Editorial skepticism about AI tools entering a studio known for filmmaker-driven, anti-AI sentiment
Concern about displacement of approximately 2,000 working Hollywood storyboard artists
Noted internal tension: A24's highest-grossing director Kane Parsons has publicly called AI 'genuinely harmful'
Industry worry about slow normalization of AI moving from behind-the-scenes experimentation to direct influence over story development and distribution

Open questions

Will A24 filmmakers actually adopt the storyboard tool or refuse to use it?
Will the partnership's scope remain limited to workflow assistance, or will it expand toward generative content in postproduction or distribution?
How will A24's young, AI-skeptical audience react to the brand's embrace of Google-backed AI?

What to do next

Developers

Study the storyboard-generation use case as a model for narrow, non-generative AI assistance in creative workflows — the constraints A24 imposed (no library access, no prompted generation) are a useful design template.

The deal signals that production-assistive AI tools that avoid full generative output may face less resistance than broad content-generation models.

Founders

Consider partnership structures that ring-fence IP access while delivering workflow value, as Google and A24 did — no library transfer, nonexclusive deal, tools built for the creative team's own use.

Creative-industry AI partnerships live or die on trust; limiting data and IP access reduces backlash risk and regulatory exposure.

PMs

If building AI tools for creative professionals, prioritize workflow-assistive features (storyboarding, scheduling, asset organization) over generative content creation in early releases.

A24's explicit framing — 'won't look anything like the prompted generative type of AI that people feel uncomfortable with' — reflects market demand for tools that augment rather than replace creatives.

Investors

Watch whether this partnership validates a 'narrow AI for creative workflows' category that can attract enterprise budgets without the reputational risk of generative-content backlash.

A $75M nonexclusive deal from Google into a prestige indie studio signals that large tech is willing to fund non-generative, production-pipeline AI — a segment that may be more defensible and less controversial.

Operators

If running a studio or production company, evaluate where AI-assisted storyboarding or pre-visualization could reduce pre-production costs without alienating creative talent.

Storyboarding is a well-scoped, high-cost pre-production step; AI assistance here is less politically charged than generative script or visual content, but talent relations still need careful management.

Testing notes

Caveats

The AI storyboard tool is not publicly available; this is a partnership announcement, not a product release.
No public API, beta, or waitlist was mentioned in the source reporting.
The tools are intended for A24's filmmakers first; general availability is not confirmed.