Google DeepMind, A24 $75M AI Deal Targets Storyboards, Not Full Generation
AI storyboards replace prompted videos as indie studio A24 takes $75M from Google DeepMind.
Google is investing about $75M in A24 through a multiyear, nonexclusive R&D partnership with DeepMind to develop AI filmmaking tools. Rather than generating full video from text, A24 Labs—led by partner Scott Belsky—is building an AI storyboard app for pre-production. The studio's revenue has more than doubled recently as it expands into unscripted TV, theater, and international production, and it's funding its most expensive project: a $175M 'Elden Ring' adaptation. The partnership could pose a reputational risk: a Pew study found roughly half of adults under 30 believe AI will harm society, and A24's 'Backrooms' opening-weekend audience was 85% under 35.
- Google is investing $75 million in A24 through a multiyear, nonexclusive AI R&D partnership with DeepMind.
- A24 Labs is building an AI storyboard app, explicitly avoiding text-to-video generation to preserve creative control.
- A24's revenue has doubled in two years, funding a $175M 'Elden Ring' adaptation, but risks alienating its young, AI-skeptical audience.
Why It Matters
Demonstrates a studio-first approach to AI adoption, focusing on creative augmentation over replacement.