Meta, the company that owns Facebook, has announced its partnership with Blumhouse Productions, known for producing horror films like The Purge and Get Out, to test the new AI-powered video model Movie Gen. This announcement comes after Meta unveiled Movie Gen, which can create realistic video and audio clips in response to user demands.
Meta claims that this new tool can compete with offerings from leading startup production companies in media production such as OpenAI and ElevenLabs. In a blog post, Meta announced that Blumhouse has selected filmmakers Aneesh Chaganty, The Spurlock Sisters, and Casey Affleck to experience Movie Gen and use the clips created in their short films. Meta confirmed that Aneesh Chaganty’s film will appear on its own Movie Gen website, while films from Affleck and The Spurlock Sisters will also be featured.
In a statement, Jason Blum, CEO of Blumhouse, said that artists are the lifeblood of this industry, noting that innovative technology can help them tell stories better. Blum added that “the opportunity for some artists to test this advanced technology and provide feedback on its pros and cons during development is a significant step towards providing powerful tools for filmmakers.”
This partnership indicates Meta’s willingness to collaborate with creative industries, especially after many of its members expressed concern about the impact of generative AI technologies on copyright and approval rights. Several copyright holders have filed lawsuits against major technology companies, including Meta, for unauthorized use of their works in training AI systems.
However, Meta claims that its AI training is protected under the fair use doctrine and has shown willingness to pay for certain types of content for AI. In addition to the Movie Gen partnership, Meta also announced deals last month with actors like Judi Dench, Kristen Bell, and John Cena to give voice to the Meta AI chatbot.
On the other hand, OpenAI, backed by Microsoft, met with executives and agents in Hollywood this year to discuss potential partnerships, including the video generation tool Sora, which was first showcased in February. While no deals resulting from these discussions have been reported yet, Lions Gate Entertainment stated that they have struck a deal with another AI startup, Runway.
