Darren Aronofsky‘s AI-focused studio Primordial Soup has entered into a strategic partnership with research lab Google DeepMind for the exploration of artificial intelligence’s creative utilities in filmmaking.
Under the partnership, Primordial Soup team will work with Google DeepMind’s research team and three filmmakers to produce short films integrating new technology and storytelling. Google DeepMind will offer the filmmakers early access to cutting-edge generative video tools, which they’ll be able to integrate with live-action photography and traditional VFX. The intention here is to take an open-minded look at AI as a creative tool, rather than a replacement of the artist, examining models that will keep artists in the driver’s seat. The collaboration will also inform the development of new AI tools, ensuring that emerging technologies align with the needs of storytellers.
The first film under the partnership, Eliza McNitt’s Ancestra, will premiere at the Tribeca Festival on June 13, followed by a panel with the filmmakers moderated by Aronofsky. McNitt came to the project after working with Aronofsky on Spheres, a groundbreaking VR experience that marked the first-ever VR acquisition out of Sundance. Two additional films, yet to be announced, will explore new applications of Google DeepMind’s video generation model, Veo.
Aronofsky’s interest in AI is expected, as technology and technological innovation have always been at the forefront of the filmmaker’s mind, from his early work on projects like Pi to the 18K “Big Sky” camera system engineered for Postcard from Earth, his large-scale cinematic experience created specifically for the Sphere in Las Vegas.
“Filmmaking has always been driven by technology,” Aronofsky observes. “After the Lumiere Brothers and Edison’s ground-breaking invention, filmmakers unleashed the hidden storytelling power of cameras. Later technological breakthroughs – sound, color, vfx – allowed us to tell stories in ways that couldn’t be told before. Today is no different. Now is the moment to explore these new tools and shape them for the future of storytelling.”
