US studio Lionsgate has taken an undisclosed equity stake in generative AI company Runway.
The deal marks an expansion of a partnership announced between the two companies in 2024, with Lionsgate using Runway’s tools across pre-visualisation, storyboarding, and final-frame production.
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Under the new agreement, Lionsgate and Runway will launch a joint development programme to develop and produce new IP.
As part of the programme, the companies plan to roll out a slate of co-developed projects blending AI and content, beginning with a short-form episodic series drawing on some of Lionsgate's existing IP and Runway’s generative models.
The companies will also partner on a series of filmmaker-focused events, with Lionsgate serving as a presenting partner at the Runway AI Festival in June 2026.
Lionsgate was reportedly the first Hollywood studio to partner with an applied research AI company, the first to hire a Chief AI Officer, and the first to build out an infrastructure to support its AI strategy.
Since that time, Disney has struck a deal with OpenAI’s Sora, which collapsed when Sora was abruptly closed, and Netflix has bought Ben Affleck’s filmmaking tech company InterPositive.
The partnership with Runway is part of Lionsgate’s AI strategy under Chief AI Officer Kathleen Grace and the studio’s AI Steering Committee.
Lionsgate’s film franchises include John Wick, The Hunger Games, the Twilight series, and Saw.
“Runway is a great creative partner, an exciting part of our AI strategy and a valuable driver in expanding our storytelling capabilities,” said Michael Burns, Vice Chairman of Lionsgate. “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 endeavours.”
“We consistently see that the studios most serious about AI are thinking about it as a creative resource, not a cost-cutting tool,” said Cristóbal Valenzuela, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Runway. “Lionsgate gets that. This expanded partnership will help more stories be told, faster. That’s core to our mission at Runway, and we’re excited to help create the next generation.”
Following the release of the fourth edition of his book The Business of Media Distribution, Jeff Ulin recently sat down with IBC365 to look back on his 25-year journey through the industry – and ahead to the world of AI. Discover more here.
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