Lionsgate, the Hollywood studio known for franchises like “John Wick” and “The Hunger Games,” announced a partnership with AI startup Runway to develop a new AI model trained on Lionsgate’s vast portfolio of film and television content. The model will be used for various production processes from storyboarding and editing to generating special effects.
When thinking about the value of a custom AI platform to a Hollywood studio, one has to remember that, at their core, studios are factories. Like all factories, increased productivity is a key driver of economic success. It’s pretty clear that generative AI and agentic AI platforms can (and will) dramatically improve productivity across a wide range of production tasks. This is a pretty logical step for any factory to take.
Unsurprisingly, Lionsgate anticipates saving substantial costs, with Vice Chairman Michael Burns projecting savings of “millions and millions of dollars.” This deal is a first for Hollywood, but it will not be the last.
Author’s note: This is not a sponsored post. I am the author of this article and it expresses my own opinions. I am not, nor is my company, receiving compensation for it. This work was created with the assistance of various generative AI models.