The AI startup Moonvalley has released a new video generation model named Marey, designed specifically for the film industry. The company aims to position its tool as a collaborative partner for filmmakers rather than a replacement for human creativity. A key feature is that Marey is trained exclusively on licensed data, a strategy intended to shield users from the copyright lawsuits affecting other AI companies.
According to an article by Andrew R. Chow in Time Magazine, Moonvalley was co-founded by former DeepMind researchers and has strong ties to the industry. The company is advised by Asteria Film Co., a studio co-founded by filmmaker Natasha Lyonne. Unlike many AI video tools that generate entire scenes from a text prompt, Marey allows filmmakers to input their own footage or storyboards. They can then iteratively adjust specific elements like characters, backgrounds, and motion, giving them granular control over the final scene.
Moonvalley CEO Naeem Talukdar states the goal is to build tools “with the filmmaker and the artist at the center of it”. He suggests the technology will enable studios to achieve more with their existing budgets and staff. This view is supported by director Ángel Manuel Soto, who praises Marey as an ethical tool. However, skepticism remains within the industry. Showrunner Raphael Bob-Waksberg expressed concern that studios will ultimately use such technology to cut costs and reduce artistic staff, not to empower them.
Marey is available through a subscription service and is reportedly being tested in pilot programs at major studios.
