Promise Studio Teams with Google to Bring AI Into the Heart of Film Production
With backing from Andreessen Horowitz and new support from Google, Promise is betting big on generative AI to streamline—and possibly rewire—how Hollywood makes movies.
SapphireDreamer, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Promise, a next-gen studio backed by Andreessen Horowitz, is doubling down on its commitment to AI filmmaking. The company has officially partnered with Google to integrate its AI tools across film development and production, marking one of the boldest efforts yet to embed artificial intelligence into the DNA of a Hollywood studio.
Founded by former YouTube executive Jamie Byrne, ex-MCN head George Strompolos, and AI artist Dave Clark, Promise is more than a content company—it’s positioning itself as an AI-powered creative ecosystem. At the center of this initiative is MUSE, the studio’s proprietary development platform that uses generative AI to assist with everything from concept creation and script breakdowns to budget visualization and post-production workflows.
The partnership with Google significantly expands those capabilities. Engineers from Google DeepMind will now work directly with Promise to enhance the MUSE platform, adding cutting-edge video synthesis, natural language processing, and real-time editing tools. Financially, the deal also brings in fresh investment from Google’s AI Futures Fund, Crossbeam Venture Partners, and existing Promise backers like the North Road Company, founded by Peter Chernin.
Promise says it will use this expanded toolkit to begin production on its first feature-length film later this year. While details about the project remain under wraps, insiders say the film will serve as a proof-of-concept for AI-assisted workflows, showcasing how a story can move from idea to screen faster and with fewer traditional bottlenecks.
The announcement comes at a moment when the industry is still processing the implications of AI on creative labor. After last year’s dual WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, there’s heightened sensitivity around how AI might replace, rather than support, human creatives. Promise executives are attempting to reassure skeptics. “We’re not building AI to replace artists,” Strompolos told Reuters. “We’re building AI to collaborate with them—to amplify their voice, not overwrite it.”
Still, not everyone in the industry is convinced. Some see the deep involvement of Google as a red flag—suggesting a future in which Big Tech not only provides the tools but also shapes the content itself. Others worry about the precedent this sets for future productions, especially as AI-generated scripts, characters, and even voices become increasingly viable.
Yet Promise’s founders argue that avoiding AI is not a realistic option. Instead, they advocate for thoughtful integration. Clark, the artist behind some of Promise’s first AI-generated art reels, says the aim is to keep humans “at the creative center” while using AI to handle repetitive or resource-heavy tasks.
The studio’s hybrid model reflects a broader shift across the industry. While traditional production pipelines are unlikely to disappear overnight, more companies are testing how AI can reduce cost, accelerate timelines, and make high-end filmmaking accessible to smaller teams.
If Promise’s first film proves commercially or critically successful, it could validate a new production paradigm—one where AI isn’t a gimmick or a threat, but simply another part of the toolset. For now, all eyes are on whether Promise can deliver not just a movie, but a movement.