Key summaries:
- Generative AI helped complete a complex VFX sequence in El Eternauta ten times faster than traditional methods, Netflix revealed.
- Co-CEO Ted Sarandos called it the “very first GenAI final footage” to appear in a Netflix original.
- Netflix’s Eyeline team is embedding AI tools into creative workflows—not to replace artists, but to empower them.
During its Q2 2025 earnings call, Netflix spotlighted a major milestone in its production pipeline: the use of generative AI (GenAI) to deliver final, on-screen visual effects in the upcoming Argentine sci-fi series El Eternauta.
The sequence—a large-scale building collapse in Buenos Aires—marks the streamer’s first use of GenAI-generated footage in an original film or series.
“That sequence actually is the very first GenAI final footage to appear on screen in a Netflix original series or film,” said Co-CEO Ted Sarandos. “Using AI-powered tools, they were able to achieve an amazing result with remarkable speed.”
According to Sarandos, the VFX work “was completed 10× faster than it could have been completed with traditional VFX tools and workflows.”
The breakthrough comes from Netflix’s Eyeline group, its internal innovation team based within Scanline, which is integrating generative AI into pre-visualization, shot planning, and visual effects.
Sarandos was clear that the technology is meant to support—not supplant—creatives: “We’re using these tools to make content better, not just cheaper.”
The announcement accompanied a strong quarter for Netflix. The company added 8 million new paid subscribers—bringing the global total to 296.6 million—and reported 17% year-over-year revenue growth.
Gains were driven by growth in the ad-supported tier, successful paid sharing expansion, and increased engagement across its catalog.
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