Promise AI Film Studio, Backed by Google and Disney, Shoots Hollywood's AI-Powered Future
Summary
- • Promise AI studio — backed by Google, Disney, and Silicon Valley VCs — is shooting 'Touch Grass,' an AI-enabled horror film near Sony Pictures in Culver City with a budget in the low millions
- • AI tools generate backgrounds, visual effects, and synthetic performers in real time using both US and Chinese models — eliminating the need for traditional sound stages
- • Netflix used AI in 300 of its 1,000 titles in 2026; Chinese AI model Seedance 2.5 is dramatically slashing production times across multiple studios
- • Leading directors Christopher Nolan and Guillermo del Toro have publicly criticized generative AI; US lawmakers warn of mass displacement for Hollywood writers, actors, and directors
Details
Promise AI Studio launches near Sony Pictures
New AI film studio backed by Google, Disney, and Silicon Valley VCs, operating from premises near Sony Pictures' historic Culver City lot; uses AI to replace traditional sound stages and large-budget studio infrastructure.
'Touch Grass' AI horror film in production
Promise's first AI-enabled horror film; budget in the low millions; uses generative AI for all backgrounds and effects, with a single actor (Tori Thomas) on a minimal set while AI composites the environment in real time.
Seedance 2.5 generates on-set environments in real time
Chinese AI model Seedance 2.5, released August 2026, superimposes actors' movements onto AI-generated environments in real time; director sees the final composited shot on a handheld monitor immediately, and backdrops can be swapped instantly.
Netflix used AI in 300 of 1,000 titles in 2026
Netflix confirmed it used AI tools in 300 of approximately 1,000 titles produced in 2026 — roughly 30% of its catalog — signaling that AI-assisted production is already mainstream rather than experimental.
Ron Howard making AI documentary with Obsidian
Veteran director Ron Howard is set to release an AI-enabled animated documentary feature about prisoners of war in Vietnam, working with another new AI studio, Obsidian — illustrating that established Hollywood talent is also embracing the technology.
Brad Pitt: AI will save mid-budget films
Actor Brad Pitt stated that while there was significant pushback, 'AI is going to be the very thing that, if used as a tool, is going to help these mid-budget films, $40m- to $90m-budgeted films, get made.'
Major directors voice sharp criticism
Christopher Nolan stated 'I've never seen a technology advancing so rapidly, so completely rejected by the public'; Guillermo del Toro has also criticized generative AI. Nolan noted suspicion is 'extreme, particularly young people.'
US lawmaker warns of mass displacement
Democratic Rep. Laura Friedman, who represents Hollywood's actors, writers, and directors, warned: 'We can't wait until we see tens of thousands of American workers displaced,' reflecting growing legislative concern over AI's labor impact in entertainment.
Source: The Guardian, August 16, 2026 — on-set reporting at Promise AI Studio, Culver City.
What This Means
The rise of AI film studios like Promise marks a potential inflection point for Hollywood's structure and economics, with AI dramatically lowering the barriers to entry for film production. Netflix's confirmation that it used AI tools in nearly a third of its 2026 titles signals adoption is already well past the experimental stage. At the same time, the backlash from Nolan, Del Toro, and labor advocates — combined with legislative warnings about mass displacement — points to a coming regulatory and labor battle that will define how AI is used in entertainment. The deployment of Chinese-developed AI tools like Seedance 2.5 in US productions adds an underexplored geopolitical dimension that studios, policymakers, and unions will all have to contend with.