Google’s artificial intelligence research lab, DeepMind, is investing approximately $75 million in A24, the acclaimed New York-based independent studio behind cultural phenomena like Backrooms and Euphoria.
While the tech giant has maintained a powerful presence in the entertainment space for two decades through YouTube, this multi-year partnership marks a significant historic milestone, representing the first time Google has acquired an actual equity stake in a Hollywood studio.
The core objective of this deep, non-exclusive research and development collaboration is to empower filmmakers by helping them develop innovative digital workflows and production techniques. Both companies emphasized their shared vision to ensure that the creative tools of the future are actively shaped by the artists who use them. Crucially, setting this alliance apart from other recent Hollywood-AI pacts, DeepMind will not be permitted to mine A24’s extensive film and television library to train its AI video models. Instead, the initial phase will focus strictly on bridging the gap between cutting-edge technology and next-generation storytelling.
This high-profile deal arrives at a time when the convergence of Hollywood and artificial intelligence is rapidly accelerating. Google’s entry into the space follows a wave of major industry moves, including Lionsgate acquiring an equity stake in Runway, and Netflix purchasing Ben Affleck’s AI-driven filmmaking company. Meanwhile, competitors like Disney have had to re-evaluate their strategies after a planned OpenAI partnership fell through following the sudden closure of the text-to-video generation tool Sora in March 2026.
A24 enters this ambitious venture riding a massive wave of commercial and critical momentum. The indie powerhouse is currently celebrating its biggest financial triumph to date with the psychological horror hit Backrooms, which has grossed over $270 million at the global box office against a modest production budget of just $10 million, making the studio an incredibly lucrative partner for tech and creative sectors alike.
