Darren Aronofsky’s Primordial Soup and Google DeepMind Debut AI-Driven Filmmaking at Tribeca Festival

Darren Aronofsky’s Primordial Soup Partners with Google DeepMind for AI-Driven Filmmaking

Darren Aronofsky has launched Primordial Soup, a new studio focused on empowering filmmakers with AI-based creative tools. The company recently announced a partnership with Google DeepMind’s AI research team to develop short films using generative AI video technology.

Through this collaboration, Google DeepMind provides early access to its generative-AI video tools, while filmmakers contribute feedback to refine those tools. This feedback loop aims to enhance the technology’s applicability in real-world filmmaking scenarios.

First Film Project: "Ancestra" by Eliza McNitt

The partnership’s inaugural project, "Ancestra", directed by Eliza McNitt, blends live-action performances with AI-generated visuals. The film explores a personal narrative inspired by the director’s own experience surrounding childbirth complications.

"Ancestra" will premiere at the Tribeca Festival on June 13, 2025. The story centers on a mother whose love becomes a cosmic force to save her daughter’s life after a childbirth crisis. The film uniquely integrates performances from SAG-AFTRA actors with AI imagery depicting cosmic and microscopic phenomena.

McNitt’s approach involved training AI models on original concept art and hand-drawn storyboards, maintaining emotional continuity and artistic integrity. The AI-generated visuals include elements like a newborn infant modeled after McNitt’s own baby pictures and a visual style influenced by photographs taken by her late father.

Technology and Collaboration

Aronofsky emphasized that AI should serve as a creative tool rather than a replacement for traditional filmmaking techniques. His past work includes films like Pi, Requiem for a Dream, and mother!, as well as pioneering an 18K camera rig for the Postcard From Earth project showcased at Las Vegas’ Sphere in 2023.

Google DeepMind developed Veo, a generative video model, which is being used in the production of Primordial Soup’s ongoing projects. Two additional films are currently in development, both expected to leverage new applications of Veo.

Alongside Primordial Soup, Google introduced Flow, a new AI filmmaking tool built on the Veo model. Flow produces 8-second cinematic video clips with high realism and physics accuracy. It will be available to Google AI subscribers starting May 20. Early users include filmmakers Dave Clark, Henry Daubrez, and Junie Lau.

Statements from Leadership

Darren Aronofsky remarked, “Filmmaking has always been driven by technology. After the Lumiere brothers and Edison’s inventions, new tools allowed stories to be told in ways never possible before. Today is no different.”

Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, described Primordial Soup as an ideal partner for ushering in new methods of AI-assisted storytelling, highlighting their spirit of experimentation and technological exploration.

Artistic and Ethical Integration

The making of "Ancestra" involved close collaboration between traditional artists—such as animators, VFX specialists, concept artists, and storyboard artists—and Google DeepMind researchers. This ensured that the AI-generated content preserved the filmmaker’s vision and maintained ethical standards in AI implementation.

McNitt previously worked on Spheres, a VR experience executive produced by Aronofsky and featuring notable voices like Millie Bobby Brown and Jessica Chastain. That project was the first VR acquisition at Sundance in 2018.

What This Means for Filmmakers and Developers

• Access to early-stage AI tools like Veo and Flow can accelerate creative workflows and open new storytelling possibilities.
• Collaborations between AI researchers and filmmakers provide valuable insights to refine generative models with artistic intent and ethical considerations.
• Combining traditional filmmaking skills with AI technologies requires multidisciplinary teamwork, blending artistry with technical innovation.

For IT professionals and developers interested in AI applications within creative industries, this partnership offers a practical case study of integrating generative AI into content production pipelines.

Learn more about AI tools for video and creative workflows at Complete AI Training.

Watch the Teaser for "Ancestra"

The teaser trailer showcases the fusion of live action and AI-driven visuals, highlighting the film’s unique narrative and technical approach. It offers a glimpse into how AI can augment cinematic storytelling without replacing human creativity.