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New AI Player Staircase Studios Formed By ‘Divergent’ Producer Pouya Shahbazian; Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, Kenneth Lerer And Aryeh Bourkoff Among Its Advisors And Backers

Mar 04, 2025 - deadline.com
Staircase Studios AI, founded by Pouya Shahbazian, is a new film, TV, and video game production company aiming to deliver high-quality content at budgets under $500,000. The studio has developed a proprietary AI workflow called ForwardMotion to revolutionize filmmaking and plans to produce over 30 projects in the next few years. Key investors include Kenneth Lerer and Aryeh Bourkoff, with advisors like Lorenzo di Bonaventura. The company has acquired numerous scripts, including many from the Black List, and is committed to ethical AI usage while working with union members.

Staircase's debut feature, _The Woman with Red Hair_, is based on a Black List script and stars Maya-Nika Bewley. Their second feature, _Every Living Creature_, is an animated adventure directed by Bernie Su. The studio is also developing TV projects and partnering with Mother Games for gaming ventures. Upcoming film projects include _Wild Night_, _Between The Dog & The Wolf_, _Fully Wrecked_, _Sundown_, and _The Mother_, each with unique premises and notable industry connections.

Key takeaways:

  • Staircase Studios AI, founded by Pouya Shahbazian, aims to produce high-quality films, TV series, and video games with budgets under $500,000 using a proprietary AI workflow called ForwardMotion.
  • The studio plans to produce over 30 projects in the next three to four years, with a commitment to working with union members and paying standard industry rates for actors.
  • The company's debut feature, "The Woman with Red Hair," is based on a true story and features original character designs from Oscar nominee Teddy Newton and art from Emmy-winning animator Alfred Gimeno.
  • Staircase Studios' slate includes a variety of projects, such as the animated film "Every Living Creature," a procedural TV series from Gabe Rotter, and several films based on scripts from the Black List.
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