Netflix bought Ben Affleck's AI startup for $587 million

Netflix paid $587 million in cash to acquire InterPositive, an AI startup founded by Ben Affleck in 2022, according to an SEC Form 10-Q reported by Variety. The acquisition was announced on March 5, and Bloomberg estimated Netflix’s payment could have reached as high as $600 million. Netflix characterized the deal as investing in “creator-led innovation” that keeps filmmakers at the center of the production process. In Affleck’s March 5 remarks, he said InterPositive’s tools are built for specific film workflows rather than generic text prompting, and are used during post-production for tasks such as mixing and coloring. A 2024 patent application filed by Affleck, reported by Deadline, suggested the technology could produce “substantial” savings, including a potential 20% reduction in schedule and physical production and up to a 50% reduction in VFX costs tied to elements such as background artists and reshoots.