Netflix (NFLX.US) plans to invest $600 million in acquiring Ben Affleck's AI company, increasing its investment in artificial intelligence applications for film and television production.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Netflix (NFLX.US) will pay up to $600 million to acquire the AI film production company InterPositive founded by Ben Affleck. If the deal goes through, it would be one of the largest acquisitions in the history of the streaming giant. The actual cash amount of the deal is said to be lower than this figure, as disclosed by sources who requested anonymity due to undisclosed terms of the agreement. According to the agreement, the owners of InterPositive will also receive additional benefits if the company meets certain performance targets. Netflix recently made a bid for Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD.US) but was unsuccessful, and has not disclosed the specific terms of this transaction. Netflix's acquisition of InterPositive aims to accelerate the use of artificial intelligence in its film production business. The startup has developed a set of tools that allow filmmakers to modify existing images. It is reported that director David Fincher has already used the products in a movie that Brad Pitt will star in. This acquisition is one of the largest in the field of AI for mainstream Hollywood production studios. Companies like Netflix and Amazon.com, Inc. are increasingly using AI technology to reduce production costs and improve the quality of their work. Amazon.com, Inc. has formed an internal team to fully deploy AI in its film and television work; while Walt Disney Company has partnered with OpenAI. However, Hollywood professionals are concerned that production studios will use AI to cut jobs and lower costs. They are also worried that tech companies will use their work to train AI technology without compensation. Affleck positioned InterPositive as a tool for filmmakers: directors must first shoot the film, and the software can then use these images for training to help remove unnecessary items or adjust backgrounds. The technology will not be used to train on films without permission, and cannot generate new projects without a base film. Prior to attempting to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery (deal valued at up to $720 billion), Netflix had avoided expensive mergers and acquisitions, expressing a preference for internal development rather than external purchases. Therefore, acquiring a startup company, even one of the largest AI transactions in Hollywood history, can be seen as a step towards Netflix building its own AI capabilities. In a video released by Netflix, Affleck said, "The filmmaking process has been a long technological evolution since its inception. We have always been seeking to make it feel more real, more authentic. I hope InterPositive can be the next iteration or step in this long history." Affleck secretly founded InterPositive with the support of investment firm RedBird Capital Partners. After years of technical development, he began seeking investments in 2025, meeting with several venture capital firms and discussing technological applications with Hollywood companies. This ultimately led Netflix to view it as an internal production tool.