]]>
Darren Aronofsky’s Primordial Soup is working with Google DeepMind’s research team and three filmmakers to develop short films integrating generative AI tools with storytelling.
“Filmmaking has always been driven by technology,” Aronofsky said. “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.”
The strategic partnership is aimed at putting artists in control when it comes to the use of AI in storytelling. Google DeepMind will provide early-stage access to generative video tools and will use the partnership to inform the development of new AI tools.
“Primordial Soup’s spirit of experimentation and technological exploration makes them the perfect partner to help thoughtfully bring in a new era of AI-assisted storytelling,” said Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind.
The first film is ANCESTRA, directed by Eliza McNitt, debuting at the Tribeca Festival next month. “With ANCESTRA, I was able to visualize the unseen, transforming family archives, emotions, and science into a cinematic experience that feels both intimate and expansive,” said McNitt.
The film blends SAG-actor performances and full film crew production with AI-generated imagery and uses new tools for image generation. The two additional films will explore new applications of Veo, Google DeepMind’s video generation model.