New York City-based AI startup Runway, backed by Google and other investors, is making its mark in Hollywood.
While Runway’s technology has already been utilized by filmmakers, including the team behind the Academy Award-winning film Everything, Everywhere, All at Once, the company recently announced a significant partnership with Lionsgate—the studio known for blockbusters like John Wick and The Hunger Games, as well as the TV network STARZ. This collaboration aims to develop a custom AI video production and editing model tailored to Lionsgate's needs.
To create this innovative model, Runway will leverage Lionsgate’s extensive library of over 20,000 film and TV titles, including Francis Ford Coppola’s upcoming film Megalopolis. This marks a groundbreaking moment as it's the first instance of a major film studio directly partnering with an AI video model provider, a development sure to reverberate through an industry already shaken by the 2023 actors' and writers' strikes, during which AI's role was a contentious issue.
Runway's Ambition to Transform Filmmaking
Partnering with Lionsgate significantly enhances Runway’s position in a competitive landscape filled with advanced AI video models like Luma AI's Dream Machine, Pika Labs' Pika, Kuaishou's Kling, MiniMax's Hailuo, and OpenAI’s Sora. Most of these models are publicly accessible, except for Sora, which remains invite-only despite being announced over seven months ago.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Lionsgate plans to initially use Runway's technology for storyboarding, background creation, and special effects—areas particularly vital for the studio's action-packed productions, which can often be costly and complex to execute.
While current AI video models are limited to generating short clips and can be challenging to control, they are capable of creating realistic visual effects in seconds, providing filmmakers with valuable tools. Although fully AI-produced feature films are not imminent, these technologies are already streamlining segments of films and short projects.
Empowering Artists Through Technology
Cristóbal Valenzuela, Runway's co-founder and CEO, expressed the company's commitment to supporting artists and studios with powerful tools that enhance creative workflows. “The history of art is intertwined with technology, and these new models are pivotal in shaping transformative avenues for artistic expression. We’re excited to collaborate with Lionsgate and help bring their visionary ideas to life,” he stated on Runway’s website.
A Busy Year Ahead for Runway
This announcement comes shortly after Runway unveiled its invitation-only API for the latest AI video model, Gen-3 Alpha Turbo. This API allows third-party developers to integrate AI video features into their applications. Additionally, Runway has recently introduced a video-to-video capability in Gen-3 Alpha, enabling users to upload existing footage for transformation and enhancement with new effects, characters, and styles. Previously, Gen-3 Alpha supported text-to-video and image-to-video functionalities.
Runway also recently completed its third annual film competition, Gen:48, where indie filmmakers were challenged to create new videos using the company’s AI models within 48 hours. The winners of this competition will be determined by a public vote online soon.
Earlier this year, reports indicated that major tech firms like OpenAI, Meta, and Google were actively pursuing ties with Hollywood studios concerning their AI video products. However, it appears that Runway has successfully secured a partnership ahead of its competitors.
While Runway and Lionsgate appear unperturbed by the ongoing class-action lawsuit from visual artists against the startup, critics argue that Runway's use of publicly shared images and videos—allegedly including Hollywood film clips and user-generated content from platforms like YouTube—constitutes copyright infringement. These detractors advocate for accountability and permissions from creators before utilizing publicly posted material for AI training.
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