Amazon has invested in Fable Studio’s new AI-powered entertainment platform called Showrunner, which turns passive viewers into creators of entire animated TV shows using creative prompts and a few clicks.
Fable CEO and co-founder Edward Saatchi developed Showrunner, AKA the “Netflix of AI.” Anyone can use the platform to compose original stories, remix existing series or scenes, create derivative episodes in a similar style, and even insert themselves into episodes. AI automates writing, animation, and voicing.
“Hollywood streaming services are about to become two-way entertainment,” Saatchi told Variety. “Audiences watching a season of a show [and] loving it will now be able to make new episodes with a few words and become characters with a photo.”
Among the first series launching on Showrunner are “Exit Valley,” a satirical comedy that mocks Silicon Valley elites such as Elon Musk and Sam Altman; and “Everything Is Fine,” a relationship dramedy with sci-fi twists.
Creators may earn up to 40% in credit-based revenue when others build upon their original shows. Saatchi believes this “creator-first model” could be key to building a collaborative ecosystem around generative storytelling.
Amazon’s investment, and Hollywood’s cautious interest
Amazon’s involvement comes through its Alexa Fund, which backs startups developing innovative voice and AI technologies. While the size of the investment has not been disclosed, Amazon’s backing reinforces the company’s commitment to exploring AI’s role in entertainment.
Saatchi is actively pitching studios to license their intellectual property (IP) for Showrunner, allowing users to legally generate spin-offs and new storylines based on beloved franchises. Talks are reportedly ongoing, and one unnamed studio has already signed on.
“Maybe nobody wants this and it won’t work,” Saatchi admitted to Variety, reflecting on lessons from his earlier venture with Oculus Story Studio.
He also acknowledged that AI-generated storytelling still struggles with long narrative arcs, making it better suited for sitcoms or short episodic content for now. Saatchi still remains cautiously optimistic.
Showrunner platform’s availability and fee
Showrunner is in public alpha, and it’s initially free to use. The service plans to roll out a credit-based subscription model, ranging from $10 to $40 monthly.
With a waitlist reportedly topping 100,000 users, Showrunner could mark a major turning point for interactive entertainment.
In June, Disney and Universal filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against AI image generation platform Midjourney. Get the details in eWeek’s news article.