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Ben Affleck said he used AI for “lots of things” while making Animals, his film about a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose son is kidnapped. He said the technology helped the production move more quickly, mostly in post-production, but declined to identify specific uses. The film is set to premiere Oct. 9 in select theaters and on Netflix.
Ben Affleck said he used artificial intelligence for “lots of things” while making Animals, his upcoming Netflix film, describing the technology as a way to move faster on some tasks, mostly during post-production. He did not specify which parts of the film involved AI, saying that detailing the methods could disrupt the audience’s sense of reality.
Affleck discussed the process during a Bloomberg Screentime Q&A. He co-wrote, directed and stars in Animals, which is scheduled to premiere Oct. 9 in select theaters and on Netflix. The project also credits Connor O. McIntyre and Billy Ray as co-writers.
Affleck said the film offered an example of AI use in a story he characterized as “a very human movie”, rather than a science-fiction production built around visual effects. He said the technology helped the team work more quickly in some cases and made it possible to do things they otherwise could not. He placed most of that work in post-production, but did not identify particular scenes, tools or production tasks.
In the film, Affleck plays Mark Kimball, a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose son is kidnapped. Kimball and his wife Abigail, played by Kerry Washington, have a few hours to find the ransom money. Affleck’s comments establish that AI was used in making the film, but do not establish how much of the finished movie was shaped by it.
Film production / AI disclosure
How AI Helped Shape Ben Affleck’s Netflix Film ‘Animals’—A Very Human Movie
Ben Affleck says AI helped the production move faster, mostly during post-production. He has not disclosed the specific tasks, tools, or how much the finished film was shaped by the technology.
01 / The disclosed role
AI as a behind-the-scenes tool
Affleck described practical uses intended to help the team work more quickly and make some work possible. His account places most of that activity in post-production, without identifying the work itself.
Move faster
Affleck said AI helped the production move more quickly in some cases, particularly in post-production.
Make more possible
He said the technology made certain things possible that the team otherwise could not do.
A “very human movie”
Affleck contrasted the film’s character-focused story with science fiction built around visible effects.
02 / What is not specified
The details stay behind the curtain
Affleck said he was hesitant to explain the uses because the filmmaking team wanted to preserve the audience’s sense of reality. As a result, the public account offers little basis for judging AI’s impact on the final cut.
Open questions
- Which scenes, tools, or production tasks involved AI?
- Did AI-generated or AI-altered material make it into the film?
- Who operated the technology, and what time or costs did it save?
- Was InterPositive technology used? Affleck has not said.
“We’re trying to foster the illusion of reality.”
Affleck on why he was reluctant to identify specific uses · Bloomberg Screentime Q&A
“It allowed us to move in some cases more quickly, really mostly in post-production.”
Affleck describing the production role of AI
Netflix acquired Affleck’s AI company, InterPositive, in March, according to the report. Affleck founded the company in 2022 and became a senior adviser after the acquisition. His comments about Animals do not say that InterPositive supplied the technology used on the film; the relationship between the deal and the production remains unclear.
03 / The story and release
A high-stakes family search
Animals follows a Los Angeles mayoral candidate after his son is kidnapped. He and his wife have only hours to find the ransom money.
Mark Kimball
played by Ben Affleck
His son is kidnapped
Abigail joins the race against time
Oct. 9 · theaters and Netflix
Kerry Washington plays Abigail. Affleck co-wrote, directed, and stars in the film; Connor O. McIntyre and Billy Ray are also credited as co-writers.
Scheduled releaseOct. 9
04 / Key questions
What viewers can take away
What did Affleck say?
AI was used for “lots of things” in Animals and helped the production move faster in some cases, mostly during post-production.
Did he explain exactly how?
No. He declined to identify the specific tasks, citing the desire to preserve the film’s illusion of reality.
When and where is it premiering?
The film is scheduled to premiere Oct. 9 in select theaters and on Netflix.
Did InterPositive provide the AI?
That has not been confirmed. Affleck did not name the systems used or say whether his company was involved.
AI Moves Into Film Post-Production
Affleck’s remarks offer a high-profile example of AI being used behind the scenes on a conventional, character-focused film, rather than as an obvious feature of its on-screen world. His description points to a practical production role: saving time and enabling work the team says might otherwise have been out of reach.
The comments are also limited in what they reveal. Without details about the specific uses, viewers cannot assess how the technology affected the film’s images, sound, editing or other elements. The disclosure adds to a wider industry discussion about AI’s place in filmmaking, but Affleck did not describe the tools, the people involved in operating them, or whether any work changed the final cut.
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Affleck’s Netflix AI Deal
The film arrives after Netflix acquired InterPositive, Affleck’s AI company, in March for a reported $587 million. Affleck quietly founded the company in 2022 and led it as CEO before taking a senior adviser role after the acquisition.
The company deal and the film’s production are separate developments in the available details: Affleck’s disclosure does not say InterPositive’s technology was used on Animals, or specify which AI products or systems were involved. His comments link his experience with AI to the film, but leave the relationship between the company and the production unclear.
““I did use” artificial intelligence “for lots of things” in the making of Animals.”
— Ben Affleck, at a Bloomberg Screentime Q&A
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Specific AI Uses Remain Undisclosed
Affleck has not said which tasks involved AI, which tools were used, or how much of the production relied on the technology. He also did not explain whether AI-generated or AI-altered material appears in the finished film, or whether the tools were developed by InterPositive.
His remarks do not identify the production personnel who used the technology or detail its cost and time savings. Those specifics remain unknown, so the film’s overall reliance on AI cannot be gauged from his comments alone.
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The Film’s October Premiere
Animals is scheduled to premiere Oct. 9 in select theaters and on Netflix. Affleck has not, in the comments described, announced further details about the AI-assisted work. The film’s release may give audiences a chance to judge the finished result, but the extent and precise nature of AI’s contribution will remain unsettled unless the filmmakers provide more information.
For now, the confirmed account is narrow: Affleck says AI was used for multiple purposes, mainly in post-production, to speed some work and make other work possible. No specific production methods have been publicly identified in his remarks.
Source: Deadline
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Key Questions
What did Ben Affleck say about AI in Animals?
Affleck said AI was used for “lots of things” in the film and helped the production move more quickly in some cases, mostly during post-production.
Did Affleck explain exactly how AI was used?
No. He declined to identify the specific tasks, saying that explaining them could interfere with the film’s illusion of reality.
When will Animals be released?
The film is scheduled to premiere Oct. 9 in select theaters and on Netflix.
Is InterPositive confirmed to have supplied the AI used on the film?
No. Affleck’s comments do not name the technology or say that his company, InterPositive, was involved in the film’s AI work.
Source: Deadline
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