Partners at powerhouse independent media company AGBO, Anthony and Joe Russo, Donald Mustard, and Chris Brearton, today announced the appointment of Dominic Hughes, Ph.D. to Chief Scientific Officer. In this newly created role, Dr. Hughes will partner with AGBO’s in-house storytelling and innovation teams to guide the development and deployment of AI technologies to enrich the creative process.
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Dominic Hughes, Ph.D. | Photo Courtesy of AGBO
“The entertainment industry is evolving at breakneck speed, and we have never felt more energized by the possibilities,” said AGBO Co-Chairs and Partners Anthony and Joe Russo. “At AGBO, we are relentlessly focused on a creative-led approach to technology and innovation. Working in tandem with our writers, directors, crew members, and technologists, Dr. Hughes will help us imagine new ways to empower artists to tell their boldest and most ambitious stories.”
“This is an exciting time to partner with creative visionaries to develop the next generation of filmmaking technology,” said Dominic Hughes. “AGBO’s longstanding approach of adopting and adapting technologically advanced filmmaking techniques positions them well for this era of discovery. I look forward to working with their broad array of creatives to develop artist-led AI-enabled solutions that will help shape the future of storytelling.”
“AGBO’s in-house storytellers and creative partners are known for producing groundbreaking entertainment using cutting-edge technology. Having spent his career studying artificial intelligence and machine learning applications, Dr. Hughes adds valuable perspective and academic rigor to our exploratory approach to emerging tech and innovation,” said AGBO Partner Chris Brearton.
AGBO Chief Creative Officer Angela Russo-Otstot, who will work with Dr. Hughes to ensure AGBO is developing and leveraging the right proprietary, third-party, and public technological advances to enhance the company’s blockbuster content creation, added, “As a company made up of writers, directors, and crew members, AGBO is determined to ensure that new technologies are developed by the creative community. We are excited to work with Dr. Hughes to develop tools and processes that will enable our artists to be more precise, more streamlined, and even more creative.”
Dr. Hughes is a leader in algorithms, machine learning, and AI with decades of academic and applied experience in developing machine learning technologies and models at leading research institutions and major corporations. Dr. Hughes earned his Ph.D. from Oxford University and has held research positions at the Stanford University Computer Science and Mathematics departments. He co-founded and served as Chief Scientist at Swell, a personalized audio news app acquired by Apple in 2014. At Apple, Dr. Hughes led the design and implementation of AI and language models for Apple News. He currently serves as a Visiting Scholar at UC Berkeley.
About AGBO
Established in 2017 by acclaimed directors Anthony and Joe Russo, AGBO’s mission is to propel the next era of storytelling by developing and producing universe-driven intellectual properties that span film, TV, and interactive media. As a powerhouse independent studio founded and operated by a collective of artists with decades of experience, AGBO has consistently shattered audience records with its globally resonant content. In recent years, AGBO has achieved record-breaking success in both box office and streaming, setting new standards in global entertainment. The Russo Brothers and AGBO have had 11 No. 1 global openings, with over seven billion dollars in box office earnings, including Marvel’s highest-grossing film of all time, Avengers: Endgame. The AGBO-produced film Everything Everywhere All at Once broke records by winning seven Academy Awards including Best Picture in 2023. The Russo Brothers-directed film The Gray Man sits in the top six of Netflix’s “most viewed of all time” list, and the Chris Hemsworth-starrer Extraction has become Netflix’s most successful franchise to date. Additionally, following its April 2023 release, the first season of “Citadel” became Amazon Prime Video’s second-most watched new original series outside the U.S. AGBO has just completed principal photography on the Amazon MGM film The Bluff, directed by Frank E. Flowers, and has commenced production on “Citadel” Season 2 in London, with Joe Russo directing. Netflix and AGBO are eagerly anticipating the 2025 release of the Russo Brothers-directed The Electric State, a retro-future adventure with an all-star cast headlined by Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, and Stanley Tucci. It was recently announced that AGBO will be producing, alongside Marvel, the Russo Brothers-directed films Avengers: Doomsday, set to release in May 2026, and Avengers: Secret Wars, set to release in May 2027.
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