Scorsese partners with Black Forest Labs for storyboards

Martin Scorsese has signed on as a partner and adviser to Black Forest Labs, using the company’s AI image technology during preproduction for a new film—specifically for storyboarding. The move lands as Hollywood’s AI debate continues to split big names, with

Martin Scorsese didn’t walk into Hollywood’s AI debate with a grand manifesto. He walked in with something he’s done for decades: drawing—then struggling to translate exactly what he sees into something a film crew can build.

The 83-year-old director. behind Goodfellas. Raging Bull. and The Departed. has signed on as a partner and adviser to Black Forest Labs. a fast-growing AI image generation startup. He used the company’s technology during preproduction for a new film. and he released a video from his New York office explaining why he’s enthusiastic about the tool.

For an industry that only three years ago went on strike partly over AI protections, that detail alone lands like a jolt. The surprise isn’t just that a legendary filmmaker is using AI. It’s how he’s using it—and what he says the AI is actually doing.

Scorsese is using AI exclusively for storyboarding, the process of visually mapping out scenes before cameras roll. He described how he’s drawn his own storyboards for 70 years. but has always struggled to communicate exactly what exists in his head to the people who bring those images to life: his cinematographer. production designer. and art director.

Black Forest Labs’ technology helped him solve that communication problem. The startup builds on open AI models called FLUX. Black Forest Labs is a 70-person company based in Freiburg, Germany, and it’s currently valued at around $3.25 billion. Its technology already powers image features inside Adobe, Canva, Microsoft, and Meta.

That makes the partnership feel less like a splashy creative gamble and more like a workflow change—one that carries an uncomfortable question Hollywood can’t ignore: if AI is starting to slip into the craft rather than replacing it, where does the line get drawn?

The industry isn’t waiting for an answer in silence. Amazon MGM Studios recently unveiled three AI-generated animated series for children. and Netflix is building an internal studio called INKubator to produce AI-generated animated content. Val Kilmer’s likeness is also being brought back using AI technology in the upcoming film As Deep as the Grave. And an AI actress named Tilly Norwood is already sparking fierce debate about where Hollywood is headed.

Still, not everyone is persuaded that this is progress in the right direction. Steven Spielberg voiced strong concerns publicly, making clear he opposes AI replacing human creativity in filmmaking. Seth Rogen and Guillermo del Toro also pushed back on AI at Cannes.

The tension sits in the mismatch between intention and fear. Scorsese is describing AI as a bridge—one that helps him translate what he sees into storyboards his team can use. Others are hearing the same technology and worrying about what happens next. especially when it’s tied to likenesses. automated content pipelines. and the broader power struggle over who gets to define “human creativity” on screen.

Scorsese’s endorsement suggests the conversation has moved well past whether AI belongs in Hollywood and into how it will be folded into the filmmaking process. For now, Hollywood’s AI romance is no longer theoretical. It’s storyboarded, scheduled, and—at least for one of its most famous directors—actively being used.

Martin Scorsese Black Forest Labs FLUX AI image generation storyboarding Hollywood AI Spielberg Seth Rogen Guillermo del Toro INKubator Netflix Adobe Canva Microsoft Meta Tilly Norwood As Deep as the Grave