Netflix used generative AI to cut costs on its latest show, "The Eternaut." The company’s co-CEO Ted Sarandos announced the streamer deployed fully AI-generated shots in the final cut for the first time.
The AI-powered sequence shows a building collapse in Buenos Aires. Sarandos said it finished 10 times faster than with traditional VFX — a game-changer for modest-budget productions like this Argentine sci-fi series.
Sarandos praised the final result. 
"The creators were thrilled with the result. We were thrilled with the result,"
"And more importantly, the audience was thrilled with the result. So, I think these tools are helping creators expand the possibilities of storytelling on screen, and that is endlessly exciting."
Netflix has used AI before, including deaging effects that saved money on Rodrigo Prieto’s film "Pedro Paramo," compared to much pricier work on "The Irishman." Sarandos noted the entire budget for "The Irishman" was roughly the cost of visual effects alone.
AI’s comeback in Hollywood is politically charged after actor and writer strikes in 2023 focused heavily on AI use. Disney faced backlash for AI art in “Secret Invasion,” while Tyler Perry froze studio expansions citing worries about current AI tools.
Visual effects are one of the biggest Hollywood pain points AI could fix, especially with rising demands for blockbuster-level spectacles. Netflix’s AI debut proves it won’t only be tentpole hits where AI reshapes production.
