Netflix Uses Generative AI for Visual Effects in Argentine Sci-Fi Series
- tech360.tv
- Jul 18, 2025
- 2 min read
Netflix has revealed it used generative artificial intelligence to create visual effects in its upcoming Argentine science-fiction series, “El Eternauta,” marking the first time GenAI-generated footage has appeared in one of its original productions.
Co-CEO Ted Sarandos said the technology enabled the creative team to depict a building collapse in Buenos Aires—an effect that would have exceeded the show’s budget using traditional methods.
The sequence was developed in collaboration with Eyeline Studios, a production innovation group within Netflix.
Sarandos said the visual effects were completed 10 times faster than with conventional tools and would have been financially unfeasible otherwise.
“This is an incredible opportunity to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper,” Sarandos said during Netflix’s second-quarter investor call.
The use of AI in entertainment has been a contentious issue in Hollywood, especially following the 2023 labour disputes that led to new guidelines on AI usage.
Concerns remain that AI could replace human jobs in the industry.
Co-CEO Greg Peters said Netflix is also exploring ways to use generative AI to enhance user experience, such as enabling voice-based search.
He gave the example of a viewer saying, “I want to watch a film from the '80s that's a dark psychological thriller,” and receiving relevant results—something not previously possible.
Peters added that generative AI could also benefit advertising by helping brands and marketers create more engaging content.
“We think these generative techniques can decrease that hurdle iteratively over time and enable us to do that in more and more spots,” he said.
Netflix used GenAI to create a building collapse scene in “El Eternauta”
The visual effects were completed 10 times faster than traditional methods
This marks the first GenAI footage in a Netflix original series or film
Source: REUTERS
