Darren Aronofsky turns to AI to reimagine the future of film

AI and creators mix much like oil and vinegar — not at all unless you use a very specific technique (whisking) for a very specific purpose (making salad dressing). For Darren Aronofsky, the director behind Requiem for a Dream, The Whale, and Black Swan, that technique involves using Google DeepMind's research team and three filmmakers to produce short films that embrace new technology and storytelling.

The partnership between Aronofsky's venture Primordial Soup and Google DeepMind will create frameworks for AI's role in filmmaking in an effort to prioritize artists in the conversation. It was announced during Tuesday's Google I/O, the company's annual developer conference.

"Filmmaking has always been driven by technology," Aronofsky said in a press release. "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."

Google DeepMind is giving the filmmakers in the partnership early access to generative AI video tools. The first of three upcoming films, ANCESTRA, will debut at the Tribeca Festival on June 13, 2025. It was directed by Eliza McNitt, a writer and director who specializes in virtual reality.

"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," McNitt said in a press release.

The director's approach shouldn't come as a huge surprise, as Aronofsky has a history of embracing new tech. For instance, he designed the film Postcard From Earth specifically for the Sphere in Las Vegas. It remains to be seen how Aronofsky's well-known dedication to environmental activism will work in tandem with his newfound experimentation with AI, the use of which could have disastrous environmental consequences.

This comes shortly after The Sphere in Las Vegas announced a new experience, with the help of Google and AI, that will bring The Wizard of Oz to the massive theater.

"The power of generative AI, combined with Google’s infrastructure and expertise, is helping us to achieve something extraordinary," Sphere Entertainment Executive Chairman and CEO Jim Dolan said in a press release. "We needed a partner who could push boundaries alongside our teams at Sphere Studios and Magnopus, and Google was the only company equipped to meet the challenge on the world’s highest resolution LED screen."