As Hollywood continues to navigate rising costs, lingering strike aftershocks, and the looming threat of Trump-era tariffs on foreign-made films, a surprising new player is stepping more firmly onto the production field: Google.

The tech giant has quietly launched a film and TV production initiative dubbed “100 Zeros”, a multi-year collaboration with Range Media Partners, the rising talent and production firm behind indie breakouts like A Complete Unknown and Longlegs. According to a report from Business Insider, the goal is simple but strategic: identify, fund, and co-produce content that can amplify Google’s growing suite of AI and spatial computing tools—while also giving the company a foothold in the creative pipeline.

This isn’t Google’s first brush with the entertainment industry—nor Range Media’s first collaboration with the tech behemoth. Just last month, the two companies announced a joint initiative to commission AI-themed films, with Sweetwater and LUCID on track for release later this year. And if you’re wondering what Google’s endgame is, it’s less about boosting YouTube and more about selling projects to major distributors like Netflix or legacy studios.

Why Now?

The timing couldn’t be more calculated. With the U.S. film industry still recovering from the 2023 strikes and bracing for potential tariffs that could kneecap foreign-shot productions, there’s a rare opening to shift more production back to U.S. soil. Google’s 100 Zeros initiative—paired with Range’s indie cred—could be the kind of domestic production engine that studios increasingly turn to as they rethink overseas strategies.

Also worth watching: Google isn’t trying to turn YouTube into the next HBO. In fact, Business Insider notes that 100 Zeros projects won’t be headed for YouTube distribution. Instead, they’ll pitch them to the usual suspects—Netflix, Amazon, and traditional studios—keeping the tech company behind the scenes while embedding its technology and ethos into the heart of high-end storytelling.

Google’s push into entertainment also serves a bigger goal: boosting adoption of its AI tools like Gemini, and showing creatives what’s possible when spatial computing meets serious storytelling. It’s a Trojan horse of sorts—Hollywood polish with a tech core.

Whether 100 Zeros becomes a disruptive force or a niche label, it marks a significant moment: Silicon Valley is no longer content just powering Hollywood from behind the scenes. Now, it’s angling for a producer credit too.