Aronofsky’s Primordial Soup Teams With Google DeepMind to Test AI in Filmmaking

On June 13, 2025, ANCESTRA will premiere at the Tribeca Festival as the first in a trio of AI-driven short films from Primordial Soup and Google DeepMind.

Director Darren Aronofsky founded Primordial Soup to rethink how films are made. The studio now partners with DeepMind to test what happens when top-tier AI video tools meet hands-on filmmaking. The collaboration gives emerging directors access to DeepMind’s latest models, including Veo, to explore new creative workflows.

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Each of the three shorts is directed by a newcomer. Aronofsky mentors them directly, and DeepMind engineers stay involved to support the tech side. Rather than hand over control to machines, the project keeps filmmakers at the center—using AI as one of many creative tools.

Eliza McNitt leads the charge with ANCESTRA, a hybrid production that merges live-action with AI visuals. Her film explores generational memory and will debut as the first result of this experimental partnership.

Primordial Soup and DeepMind aren’t pitching AI as a replacement—they’re testing whether it can keep up with real directors. If ANCESTRA lands, it could change how stories get made.