Lionsgate buys stake in Runway, sets shortform series blending AI and content

US studio group Lionsgate has acquired an undisclosed equity stake in Runway, the artificial intelligence (AI) firm it first began working with in 2024.

Michael Burns

As part of their growing partnership, the companies also said they will launch an initiative to jointly develop and produce new IP that blends AI and content. The first project to rolled out under the new initiative will be a shortform episodic series “drawing on some of Lionsgate’s existing IP and Runway’s generative models.”

In addition, Lionsgate will be a presenting partner of the Runway AI Festival later this month, while the companies will work together on other “filmmaker-focused events.”

Among the US studios, Lionsgate was among the earliest movers in the AI space. At the time its initial partnership with Runway was announced in September 2024, Lionsgate took a lot of heat from the industry, with critics arguing Hollywood studios would cede the industry’s future to computers if they were not careful.

In the time since, it has become commonplace as others have followed suit, with Disney striking a deal with OpenAI’s Sora (the deal fell apart after Sora was abruptly shuttered) and Netflix buying Ben Affleck’s filmmaking tech company InterPositive.

Last week, AI entrepreneur Katrien Grobler, who is founder and CEO of controversial AI twinning app Twinnin.ai, said that some of the UK broadcasters are treating their AI partnerships like affairs.

In February, Lionsgate appointed Kathleen Grace as its first-ever chief AI officer.

“Runway is a great creative partner, an exciting part of our AI strategy and a valuable driver in expanding our storytelling capabilities,” said Lionsgate vice chairman Michael Burns.

“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.”

Runway co-founder and CEO Cristóbal Valenzuela added: “We consistently see that the studios most serious about AI are thinking about it as a creative resource, not a cost-cutting tool.

“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 of iconic content.”