Amazon Backs AI-Powered Netflix for Custom Animated Series
What if you could write yourself into South Park, create a brand-new Rick and Morty spinoff, or make your animated sitcom with no crew or studio?
Let’s take a look at Showrunner, an AI-powered streaming platform from Fable Studio. And guess who just threw money at it? Our villain Amazon.
From Controversy to Cult Status
Fable, founded by former Oculus VR employees, first made waves in 2023 when it released nine unauthorized, AI-generated episodes of South Park, right in the middle of Hollywood’s AI labor disputes.
Of course, the film industry was not very happy about it. Viewers? They clicked play… a lot. Those episodes racked up over 80 million views. Controversial? Yes. Successful? Also yes.
The AI That Writes TV on Demand
After a year of testing with 10,000 users, Showrunner is officially live. Powered by its upgraded AI, Show-2, it lets you:
- Create new scenes or whole episodes just by typing prompts
- Upload a photo and turn yourself into an animated character
- Remix your favorite shows (if rights holders play along)
Pricing is planned at $10–$40/month, with credits that can be spent on premium content. Studios and creators get a cut.
Amazon
Amazon hasn’t revealed how much it invested or whether it will feed Prime Video shows into the platform. But Fable CEO Edward Saatchi says at least one major studio is already on board, and Disney is in talks.
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The goal is to let fans legally extend existing shows while avoiding lawsuits. Imagine a Simpsons episode with you as Homer’s long-lost cousin. Or a Star Wars animated mini-series where you finally get to be a Jedi.
Not Just Fan Fiction and Not Perfect yet
Showrunner also makes its own AI shows, like Exit Valley. Creators can publish their work directly to YouTube and even earn revenue if their idea takes off.
Right now, the tech is best for standalone episodes. Writing full-season arcs with consistent storylines? Still a work in progress. But with Amazon’s money and growing hype, the gap between human-led TV and AI-generated shows might shrink faster than Hollywood expects.
Hot take: This could be the start of an entirely new entertainment format, or just the weirdest internet rabbit hole since deepfakes. Either way, Amazon’s betting it’ll be worth watching. And i am personally betting on this horse too.
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