Lionsgate has taken an equity stake in the generative AI video company Runway and plans to pull from its existing catalogue of franchises for an AI short-form series, expanding a partnership the two companies struck in 2024 and cementing the studio’s bullish approach to the technology.
The expansion will also see Lionsgate and Runway start a new development program to create new content — and, thus, intellectual property — using AI, with a rollout planned for multiple projects that incorporate generative AI. The companies will also launch a series of “filmmaker-focused events.”
The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, though Lionsgate’s equity stake in the AI firm is not a cash investment.
“Runway is a great creative partner, an exciting part of our AI strategy and a valuable driver in expanding our storytelling capabilities,” Lionsgate vice chairman Michael Burns said in a statement. “This is an iterative process. As we continue to expand the use cases of Runway technology across our production operations and introduce its tools to more of our filmmakers, we believe it will help our talent redefine and reshape the art of the possible in their creative endeavors.”
The companies first struck a partnership in September 2024, with Lionsgate employing Runway’s technology for pre-visualization, storyboarding, parts of the post-production process and a potential repurposing of content across rating scales and genres. But Thursday’s announcement marks a dramatic expansion of the deal, potentially allowing characters from the worlds of “The Hunger Games,” “John Wick” or “Twilight” to emerge in an AI project.
