Wonder Studios signs TV deal for AI-made indie films

Wonder Studios has signed a distribution agreement with Foundation Distribution that puts films from online creators on connected-TV platforms as stand-alone titles, starting with the second season of Wonder's anthology series Beyond the Loop.

The agreement was announced on October 20, 2026, the date carried on the release's New York and London dateline. It covers AI-native work first, with work from filmmakers beyond AI to follow, according to Wonder Studios. The release names Roku, Samsung TV, Amazon and others as the platforms involved. Financial terms were not disclosed, and neither side stated a duration or an exclusivity term. Rather than packaging the films into an always-on themed channel, the high-volume model common on free ad-supported services, each selected film will appear as a title in its own right.

Wonder Studios chief executive and co-founder Xavier Collins said in the release: "This deal with Foundation marks a watershed moment for Wonder, what started as a mission to help filmmakers becoming founders has now materialised into a position where emerging talent is having their content broadcast into millions of homes worldwide."

Foundation Distribution president Sarah Craig said in the same statement that bringing online creator content to connected TV does not dilute existing audiences but amplifies them by meeting viewers wherever they watch.

Wonder Studios is an entertainment company founded by filmmaker and creative technologist Justin Hackney and marketplace entrepreneur Xavier Collins. It runs a studio, a talent marketplace and a community of filmmakers, and its release says the company has raised more than $15 million from investors including Atomico, LocalGlobe, Blackbird and Adobe Ventures. Beyond the Loop, its flagship anthology, backs filmmakers to make original short films with a stake in what they create. The release says the series has drawn 14.8 million combined views across platforms to date; season two's executive producers include CapCut, ElevenLabs, OpenArt and invideo, and its filmmakers include Grammy-nominated artist Jidenna, Kavan the Kid and BAFTA-winning editor Hal Watmough.

Foundation Distribution describes itself as a distribution agent that negotiates placement across connected-TV platforms. Its website lists partners including Roku, Tubi, Pluto, Samsung, Peacock and Amazon.

The deal lands after Roku launched the ad-supported Fairground AI Creator TV channel earlier in 2026, which C21Media describes as the first free, all-AI streaming channel pulling content from roughly 100 AI creators.

For filmmakers, the model is a step beyond social and digital platforms, though the release does not say what the films will earn or how revenue is split. The deal does not cover a themed channel, and it does not name every platform it will reach. The absence of a disclosed figure is not evidence of a small one.

Beyond the Loop season two is already available on YouTube and Wonder TV; the release does not name a date for its connected-TV launch.