Sunny Hostin says Hollywood’s resistance to Black and Brown stories helped drive her decision to partner with an artificial intelligence studio. During a recent episode of “The View,” the 57-year-old television personality explained that she had spent six years trying to bring her romance trilogy to television and film.
Hostin claimed that traditional entertainment companies repeatedly passed on her stories, prompting her to explore an unconventional path involving AI. However, her announcement quickly sparked criticism from commentators who questioned both her allegations of industry discrimination and her willingness to use AI in the creative process.
Hostin discussed her new partnership with London-based studio Fountain 0 while addressing the growing influence of AI in entertainment. “One of the reasons I partnered with this company, is because I’ve written a trilogy, and for six years I’ve tried to get my films, or my stories, made into a series and films,” she said, per Daily Mail. “And the gatekeeping in Hollywood around Black and Brown creative content is insane.”
Hostin argued that the partnership could give her greater control over how her stories and characters are presented on screen.
The three novels in her “Summer Beach” series are “Summer on the Bluffs,” “Summer on Sag Harbor” and “Summer on Highland Beach.” The books center on affluent Black communities and explore romance, family, friendship and generational legacies. Hostin has playfully described the series as a love story with “a little bit of smut on the side.”
She also declared, “I do write smut!” while discussing the first novel during a previous episode of “The View.”
Her AI Partner Made History At The Tribeca Festival
Hostin highlighted Fountain 0’s role in making “Dreams of Violets,” a 75-minute feature that uses AI-generated visuals and performers. “It’s the first time that was done,” Hostin said while discussing the film’s acceptance at a major festival.
“Dreams of Violets” premiered at the 2026 Tribeca Festival. The project was promoted as the first fully AI-generated, live-action feature accepted into the main program of a major film festival. The film, created by Iranian brothers Ash and Pooya Koosha, dramatizes the experiences of Iranians facing execution and draws on accounts of the government’s violent crackdown on protesters.
According to Variety, Fountain 0 reportedly produced the movie for approximately $2,000. The filmmakers used artificial intelligence for its visuals, voices and other production elements. The technology allowed them to create a feature without a traditional cast, physical set or camera crew, although those same methods have fueled concerns about AI replacing entertainment workers.
Sunny Hostin Previously Discussed Resistance From Publishing Executives
Hostin has made similar allegations about the publishing industry. During a 2024 interview with Entertainment Weekly, she recalled encountering skepticism when she initially pitched a romance series centered on Black women.
“The first two meetings I had were unsuccessful because the people in the room didn’t get it. They just didn’t get it,” the daytime television host said.
She remembered one executive asking, “Well, what’s the market for this? And I was like, ‘Black women.’ She was like, ‘Really? You think so?’” she said. “Executives didn’t even think there was an audience for it. It was surprising and a bit disappointing.”
Hostin eventually found support from Gallery Books editor Carrie Feron, whom she credited with understanding her vision and intended readership. “She not only saw the characters, she saw me and the audience. She saw three books,” Hostin said.
The first book was released in 2021, followed by its sequels in 2023 and 2024.
An Earlier Television Adaptation Was Reportedly In Development
Although Hostin said she spent six years attempting to have the books adapted, Entertainment Weekly reported in 2024 that Amazon Prime Video was developing a television version of “Summer on the Bluffs.” The publication reported that Oscar-winning actress Octavia Spencer was attached as an executive producer and could potentially star in the project.
No completed series has been released, and the current status of that earlier adaptation remains unclear. Hostin’s Fountain 0 agreement may represent a new route for the property, but neither she nor the studio has announced a finished movie or television series based on the trilogy.
The Author Licensed Her Stories And Likeness To Fountain 0
Hostin signed the licensing agreement with Fountain 0 in August. The arrangement reportedly covers her intellectual property as well as the use of her image in AI-assisted productions. “To be able to bring my novels to life in movie and TV form, and actually have my image inserted in the productions, so that audiences can relate to me through my stories beyond my role as an author, is incredibly exciting to me,” she told Variety.
She added, “This entire generational innovation in filmmaking from Fountain 0 gives me confidence that AI can give me a way to both more fully develop, and more fully immerse myself in, [intellectual property] I have developed.”
Hostin also operates Roots & Wings Productions, the production company she launched in 2021. Her deal with Fountain 0 signals that she is continuing to pursue screen adaptations despite the setbacks she described. It also places her directly in the contentious debate over whether AI offers new opportunities to underrepresented creators or threatens the human artists who traditionally bring those projects to life.
