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Ben Affleck said artificial intelligence was used for “lots of things” while making Animals, the film he co-wrote, directed and stars in for Netflix. He said the work was mostly in post-production and helped the production move faster or accomplish things it otherwise could not, but he did not identify specific uses.
Ben Affleck said artificial intelligence was used for “lots of things” in making Animals, his upcoming Netflix film, describing most of the work as taking place in post-production. Affleck said the technology helped the production move more quickly and carry out some work it otherwise would not have been able to do, but declined to identify the specific tasks.
Affleck discussed the use of AI during a Bloomberg Screentime Q&A. He said he was hesitant to reveal exactly where it appeared in the film because filmmakers try to preserve the audience’s illusion of reality. He compared explaining the techniques to a magician telling the audience how a trick works before performing it.
“I used [AI] for lots of things in that movie,” Affleck said. He added that most of the use was in post-production, where it allowed the team to move faster and, in some cases, do work that otherwise would not have been possible. His comments did not specify which AI systems were used, what scenes or elements they affected, or how much of the film’s post-production involved the technology.
Animals stars Affleck as 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 ransom money. Affleck co-wrote the film with Connor O. McIntyre and Billy Ray, directed it and plays the lead role. It is set to premiere Oct. 9 in select theaters and on Netflix.
AI at Work in a Very Human Movie
Ben Affleck says AI helped with “lots of things” on Netflix’s Animals, mostly in post-production. He cited faster work and added capability, while leaving the specific tasks undisclosed.
A behind-the-scenes assist
Affleck described practical production support, not an AI-generated film. The account gives a broad picture of the work, with few technical specifics.
Mostly after filming
Affleck placed most of the AI use in post-production, but did not identify departments, scenes, or individual tasks.
Speed and capacity
He said the tools helped the team move faster and, in some cases, do work it otherwise could not have done.
The specific work
No AI systems, affected elements, time savings, or share of post-production were disclosed.
A human-scale story
A family faces a kidnapping and a race to find ransom money.
Tools used behind the scenes
Affleck says AI supported multiple tasks, mainly in post-production.
Details not yet explained
The production has not described how the tools affected the final material.
Known facts.
Open questions.
Affleck said he was hesitant to point out where AI appeared, comparing that disclosure to a magician explaining a trick before performing it. The audience’s “illusion of reality,” he said, is part of filmmaking.
A deal is context, not proof
Affleck’s business connection adds interest to the disclosure, but the available reporting does not link those company tools to this film.
| Reported detail | Status | What it tells us |
|---|---|---|
| Netflix acquired InterPositive | Reported | Deadline reported a March acquisition for $587 million. |
| Affleck founded the company in 2022 | Reported | He served as CEO before taking a senior adviser role after the acquisition. |
| InterPositive technology was used on Animals | Unconfirmed | The acquisition alone does not establish that its products were used in the film. |
Animals stars Affleck as Mark Kimball, a Los Angeles mayoral candidate whose son is kidnapped. Kerry Washington plays his wife, Abigail.
Affleck directed, co-wrote the film with Connor O. McIntyre and Billy Ray, and plays the lead role.
What viewers can expect
The current account includes a release plan, but no further technical disclosure or announcement about production details.
Questions that remain: Did AI change or generate finished material? Which teams used it? How much time did it save?
No answers to those questions were provided in Affleck’s remarks. Further details would be needed to assess the scale and creative role of the work.
The key questions
Here is what the reported comments establish—and where they stop.
Did Affleck confirm AI use?
Yes. He said AI was used for “lots of things” while making Animals.
What did the AI do?
Specific tasks were not named. Affleck said the work was mostly in post-production.
Was InterPositive involved?
The available details do not say. Netflix’s acquisition does not confirm use on the film.
When can audiences watch?
The film is scheduled to premiere October 9 in select theaters and on Netflix.
AI Use Inside a Human-Scale Film
Affleck’s remarks offer a specific example of how a major film production may use AI without making the technology a visible part of the story. He described behind-the-scenes assistance, especially in post-production, rather than presenting the film as an AI-generated project. That distinction matters to audiences trying to understand what “AI in filmmaking” means in practice.
His comments also leave a notable gap: viewers know AI was used, but not which tasks it handled or how the results reached the finished film. Without those details, it is difficult to judge the scale of the work, whether the tools affected creative choices, or what roles they played alongside the film’s human cast and crew. Affleck’s explanation identifies speed and expanded capacity as benefits he saw, but does not quantify either.
The disclosure comes as Netflix has acquired Affleck’s AI company, InterPositive. The combination of a high-profile film and Affleck’s role in the company makes his account relevant to ongoing discussion of how studios may apply AI in production. His remarks, however, describe this film’s use in broad terms and do not establish a general policy for Netflix or the wider industry.
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Affleck’s Netflix and AI Deals
Netflix acquired InterPositive in March for $587 million, according to Deadline. Affleck had quietly founded the company in 2022 and served as its chief executive. Following the acquisition, he took on a senior adviser role. The company’s sale provides context for interest in his comments about using AI on a Netflix release, but the stated facts do not establish that InterPositive’s tools were used on Animals.
Affleck’s description of the film as “very human” was part of his explanation for why he considered it a useful example of AI use. He said the story is not set in space and does not rely on visual effects, yet AI still helped the team in some areas. His point was that such tools can be used in production work that may not be apparent on screen, rather than only in films built around conspicuous digital effects.
The film’s release is planned for Oct. 9 in select theaters and on Netflix. Affleck is its director and one of three credited co-writers, as well as its star. The available details do not provide a full production breakdown or explain how the AI work was divided among departments.
““I used [AI] for lots of things in that movie.””
— Ben Affleck, speaking at a Bloomberg Screentime Q&A
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The Film’s AI Tasks Remain Unspecified
Affleck did not name the AI tools or applications used on Animals, identify the scenes or elements they affected, or say how many tasks involved the technology. He also did not quantify the time saved or describe what work would otherwise have been impossible. His comments place most of the use in post-production, but do not provide a detailed account of the process.
It is also unclear from the available details whether InterPositive technology was involved. Netflix’s acquisition of Affleck’s company is reported, but that fact alone does not show that the company’s products were used on this film. Further information from Affleck, Netflix or the production would be needed to establish any connection.
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Release and Further Production Details
Animals is scheduled to premiere Oct. 9 in select theaters and on Netflix. The release may bring further discussion of how AI was used, but no additional technical details or disclosure plans were included in Affleck’s remarks. Until the filmmakers provide a more specific account, the confirmed description remains that AI was used for multiple purposes, mostly in post-production.
Questions likely to remain of interest include whether the tools changed or generated any finished material, which production teams used them, and whether Netflix will share further details. No answers to those questions were provided in the account of the Q&A.
Source: Deadline
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Key Questions
Did Ben Affleck confirm that AI was used in Animals?
Yes. Affleck said the production used AI for “lots of things” while making the film.
What did AI do on the film?
Affleck did not identify specific tasks. He said the work was mostly in post-production and helped the team move more quickly or do some things it otherwise could not have done.
Was InterPositive’s technology used on Animals?
The available details do not say. Netflix acquired Affleck’s company InterPositive in March, but that does not confirm that its technology was used on the film.
When will Animals be released?
The film is scheduled to premiere Oct. 9 in select theaters and on Netflix.
Source: Deadline
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