Authors First Secured $10 Million for AI Studio

New York startup aims to bypass traditional production budget constraints using AI tools to adapt novels for the screen.

Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Startups

A professional camera lens mounted on a tripod inside a dark, empty film studio. — Authors First, a New York-based startup, secured $10 million in seed funding to utilize AI technology for book-to-screen film adaptations. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Authors First launched in New York as an AI-enabled book-to-screen studio, backed by over US$10 million in seed funding. The startup intends to lower production costs to realize projects that traditional studios often deem too expensive to pursue.

Why it matters

By leveraging AI to replace costly infrastructure like green screens and physical sets, the studio seeks to provide authors with greater creative control while tackling high-budget adaptations. The venture tests whether technology can bridge the gap between niche literary intellectual property and commercially viable screen productions.

The company secured over US$10 million in seed funding led by Brand Foundry and Robert Hamwee, with participation from Bolt Ventures. This initial capital supports the studio's workflow, which replaces traditional CGI and on-site shoots with proprietary AI production capabilities.

The players

Robert Hamwee

The CEO of Authors First who brings three decades of experience in the finance sector to the studio.

Conn Iggulden

An author collaborating with the studio to adapt his historical fiction series.

The details

The studio combines human-led creative direction with AI tools to execute cinematic shots without the reliance on traditional on-site filming or extensive green screen stage time. By digitizing production workflows, Authors First plans to adapt complex works like Conn Iggulden’s Genghis: Birth of an Empire and Peter F. Hamilton’s Pandora’s Star. The team manages these projects with a leaner production footprint than conventional studio models require.

October 6, 2026: Authors First officially launched in New York.
2007: Conn Iggulden published the novel Genghis: Birth of an Empire.
2004: Peter F. Hamilton published the novel Pandora's Star.

Market Landscape

The launch of Authors First represents an aggressive application of generative AI tools to replace traditional cinematic production infrastructure. This move follows a broader industry trend of integrating non-human digital creation tools to manage the ballooning budgets of high-concept visual media.

Business operators should monitor how this AI-driven production model impacts the cost-efficiency of high-budget creative projects. While still early, the studio's ability to maintain author creative control through technology could reshape partnership expectations for content licensing.

The takeaway

The studio offers a potential blueprint for leveraging AI to overcome traditional studio budget limitations on complex IP. Operators should track the studio's first production output to determine if these AI workflows deliver cost savings while maintaining industry-standard visual quality.