Benjamin Field’s outfit Deep Fusion ties with growing business

Hunt We Need to Talk About James

Hunt: We Need to Talk About James: Deep Fusion doc

Nascent production company John Gore Studios has bought a majority stake in AI indie Deep Fusion Films.

Cardiff-based Deep Fusion, which was founded in 2023, will continue to develop and produce its own IP while providing support to enable innovation across development and production for John Gore Studios.

It is the latest in a string of acquisitions for John Gore in its first year of business, following its takeovers of Hilary Bevan Jones’ Hilltop Screen, the KFilm group and gothic horror company Hammer Films.

Deep Fusion is behind Sky doc Hammer: Heroes, Legends and Monsters and is currently in production on Formula 1 champion James Hunt feature doc, Hunt: We Need to Talk About James, directed and produced by the indie’s co-founder, Benjamin Field. Last year, it produced the Virtually Parkinson podcast, an interview format featuring an AI simulation of the late Michael Parkinson.

The company also advises industry bodies including Pact about how AI can be safely integrated into TV production and is developing a suite of tools designed to support creative teams.

Last year, Deep Fusion hired animator Christian Darkin as head of creative AI to lead the development and creation of AI software for unscripted projects.

Executive chair John Gore said those working at Deep Fusion Films are “producers first”, adding: “Their work shows how new technologies can open creative possibilities without replacing the human instinct and artistry that great filmmaking depends on. Bringing that mindset into the studio feels like a genuinely exciting next step for us as we look to the future.”

Field said: “Being part of a studio that values heritage, craft and long-term thinking allows us to expand what we do, collaborate more widely, and continue developing formats and techniques that genuinely move the industry forward.”

Deep Fusion co-founder Jamie Anderson added: “Becoming part of John Gore Studios allows us to embed that thinking across a broader creative ecosystem, supporting partners with best-in-class tools, governance and creative experimentation, while remaining grounded in respect for talent, audiences and IP.”

The acquisition was led by John Gore Studios’ chief acquisition officer Jonathan Lack.

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