Darren Aronofsky uses AI to tell the story of the American Revolution: trailer
A project for the 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States, which combines traditional cinema tools and emerging AI capabilities.
Darren Aronofsky, director of Black Swan and The Whale, has officially launched a short-form series about the American Revolution through his AI studio, Primordial Soup.
Entitled On This Day… 1776, the mini-series has already revealed its trailer and its first two episodes on Time magazine’s YouTube channel.
The remaining episodes will air throughout the year, leading up to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026. According to Ben Bitonti of Time Studios: “This project shows what the creative and thoughtful use of AI can deliver — not replacing craft, but allowing creators to explore territories previously impossible.”
The trailer can be seen below:
Produced by Primordial Soup and Google DeepMind, the project combines traditional filmmaking tools with emerging AI capabilities.
Darren Aronofsky also brought in syndicated Hollywood actors to provide narration, with each episode chronicling a key historical moment from 1776. The first follows George Washington in Somerville, Massachusetts, raising the Continental flag to boost morale, while the second features Benjamin Franklin encouraging Thomas Paine to give voice to Common Sense.
Darren Aronofsky is executive producer. The original music is by Jordan Dykstra.
Watch the first episode below:
