Wonder Studios is Bringing AI Content to Hollywood

Wonder Studios, a global network of artists, directors, and technologists exploring the creative frontier of AI, led by Xavier Collins and Justin Hackney, has secured $12 million in seed funding led by Atomico, alongside existing investors LocalGlobe and Blackbird, and builds on Wonder’s pre-seed investment, which included executives from ElevenLabs, Google DeepMind, and OpenAI. 

Wonder will use the new funding to double its engineering team and accelerate original content and IP creation. Recent projects include an AI-generated music video for Lewis Capaldi’s “Something in the Heavens” with DeepMind, YouTube, and Universal Music Group, and the startup’s first original series, Beyond the Loop. Upcoming releases include a documentary with Campfire Studios, the team behind Netflix hits like The Menendez Brothers and America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

The push for IP ownership comes as Hollywood increasingly targets AI companies over unauthorized use of copyrighted content, including characters and creative works. Lawsuits from Disney and Universal Studios against firms like MiniMax and Midjourney highlight the stakes. At the same time, platforms like Netflix are embracing generative AI to streamline storytelling, even as artists raise concerns about AI tools trained on their work without consent, such as OpenAI’s Sora 2 reproducing actors’ likenesses, potentially threatening creative livelihoods.

Wonder positions itself as “Hollywood without borders,” offering AI storytelling tools that connect creators to opportunities, collaborators, and resources. The startup aims to shape the next decade of creativity in the age of AI, bridging technology and artistry for storytellers across studios, industry pioneers, and grassroots filmmakers.