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Metaphysic, the generative AI startup that helped digitally de-age Tom Hanks and Robin Wright in Robert Zemeckis’ “Here”, has been acquired by Dneg Group’s AI company Brahma. The price of the transaction was not disclosed.

Dneg Group is the privately held parent company of VFX and animation studio Dneg (formerly known as Double Negative). The studio is currently nominated for a visual effects Oscar for their work on “Dune: Part Two,” and won a BAFTA over the weekend for their work on the movie. Prime Focus, who developed Clear’s “impressive, purpose-built AI platform empowering rapid in-house AI development” (according to the official release) and Ziva, “technology for the creation of digital human and character simulations,” are also part of the Dneg Group umbrella.

Metaphysic’s AI neural performance toolset was honored at the Visual Effects Society Awards last week with the prestigious Emerging Technology Award.

Brahma launched last...

Metaphysic – the generative AI startup whose toolset was used to age and deage Tom Hanks and Robin Wright in Robert Zemeckis’ “Here” – has been acquired by Dneg Group’s AI company Brahma with an eye toward accelerating its AI tech development. The price of the transaction was not disclosed.

Dneg Group is also the privately held parent of VFX giant Dneg, whose work on “Dune: Part Two” won a BAFTA on Sunday and is VFX Oscar nominated; Prime Focus, developer of the Clear asset management tools; and Ziva, a 3D character creation toolmaker that Dneg acquired last year.

Brahma was launched in 2024 following a $200 million investment in Dneg Group by Abu Dhabi-based investor United Al Saqer Group. The Metaphysic acquisition is aimed at speeding up Brahma’s goal to build AI-powered tools for content creators across industries, to create professional content at scale.

According to today’s announcement, Uasg and...

The use of AI in best picture contender “The Brutalist” recently grabbed headlines and ignited controversy, but it isn’t the only Oscar contender to use the advancing technology. High-profile films such as “A Complete Unknown,” “Dune: Part 2” and “Emilia Pérez” have also used AI in large or small ways, and the growing popularity has led the Motion Picture Academy to actively explore changing its Oscar submission requirements so that films would have to disclose their use of AI, Variety has learned.

The Academy currently offers an optional disclosure form for AI use, but Governors and Branch executive committees are now investigating how AI is used in each branch with an eye toward making disclosure mandatory in the 2026 Oscars rules, which are expected to be published in April. The Academy’s SciTech Council is working on recommended language, Variety has also learned.

Development of visual effects tools and processes...

Spiritualized return from a six-year hiatus this September with their latest LP And Nothing Hurt. On Monday, the Jason Pierce-led rock outfit shared a new single from the album, “Here It Comes (The Road) Let’s Go.”

Throughout his career with Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized, Pierce has doled out his unique brand of gospel-tinged space rock, and “Here It Comes (The Road) Let’s Go” carries on that tradition. The song opens as a hypnotic cosmic country rocker before unfurling waves of background harmonies and brass over the track’s five-minute runtime.