Ben Affleck’s new movie, “Animals,” is set for release on October 9 on Netflix, with him directing the film and starring alongside “Scandal” alum Kerry Washington. Ahead of the film’s release, the Hollywood icon is opening up about artificial intelligence and admitting that he used it graciously in the crime thriller. This follows the sale of his AI company to the streaming giant.
Ben Affleck Admits to Using Artificial Intelligence for New Netflix Film ‘Animals’
Affleck was interviewed by Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw in September 2026, where he discussed not only his new movie but also the business of Hollywood. He admitted the film used artificial intelligence, but the beloved actor wouldn’t reveal how.
He said, “I used [AI] for lots of things in that movie. I’m a little bit hesitant to point out what they are — or even talk about it — because in my business, we’re trying to foster the illusion of reality, right?” After that, he compared the situation to attending a magic show.
According to Affleck, “It’s sort of like if you went to a magic show and the magician walked out and said, ‘Just before I start, I want you to know there’s another bunny under here. And this guy’s a plant.’ You know, it’s sort of ruined, right? But yes, we did use it, and in fact, I thought it was a good example (of how to use AI ethically) because it’s a very human movie.”
After that, he discussed the need for filmmakers to spend time with the technology in order to achieve a “sense of control” over it, saying that once this happens, AI “moves from this nebulous, abstract, terrifying alien — you know, ‘It’s going to kill us all,’ all this propaganda — and they actually see what it is.”
To give his explanation of AI’s place in Hollywood, the actor said, “It’s another form of computing… a technological advancement that’s really in keeping with the longstanding series of technological improvements we’ve made in the film and television business.”
Regarding the future of the technology, Affleck doesn’t envision a world in which a director could “type [a prompt] in and make a movie that people want to see.”
Netflix Paid $600 Million for Ben Affleck’s AI Company
Affleck founded InterPositive in 2022 to help filmmakers solve production issues and support post-production efforts. This includes correcting lighting, replacing backgrounds, and fixing continuity issues. Years later, in March 2026, Netflix acquired the company for a reported $587 million in cash.
The entire team from InterPositive joined Netflix, and Affleck now serves as a senior advisor. According to Affleck, “In 2022, I spent a lot of time observing the early rise of AI in production. As a filmmaker, I could see how these models came up short.”
He continued, “For artists to apply these tools towards telling the stories we dedicate our lives to, they need to be purpose-built to represent and protect all the qualities that make a great story: the nuances of filmmaking, the predictable — and unpredictable — challenges of production environments, the distortion of a lens or the way light shape-shifts across a scene.”
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Ben Affleck Defends Using AI to Make Upcoming Movie – ‘We Did Use It’