Lionsgate Takes Stake in Runway as Studio Moves Into AI-Generated Short-Form Shows for Its Franchises

Lionsgate is expanding its partnership with AI company Runway in a new deal that brings the studio deeper into artificial intelligence-driven content creation. The announcement was made on Thursday and confirmed by Lionsgate through an official press release.

As part of the agreement, Lionsgate is not only working with Runway but is also taking an equity stake in the generative AI company. The two sides will now move beyond earlier testing and begin building new projects together. Their focus is on developing and producing original intellectual property, including short-form episodic series created with AI tools.

These new AI-generated series will be based on Lionsgate’s existing film and television library. The companies said they plan to explore a wide range of titles from the studio’s catalog, which includes thousands of properties. While no specific franchises were confirmed, Lionsgate owns well-known titles such as John Wick and The Hunger Games, which are among its most valuable assets.

The companies described the partnership as a “preferred partnership” and said it is part of Lionsgate’s broader strategy around artificial intelligence. According to the studio, this effort is being guided by its Chief AI Officer Kathleen Grace and its internal AI Steering Committee, which oversees how the technology is used across production.

Lionsgate Vice Chairman Michael Burns said the collaboration is about expanding creative possibilities rather than replacing traditional filmmaking. He explained the company’s approach in a statement shared through the press release.

“Runway is a great creative partner, an exciting part of our AI strategy and a valuable driver in expanding our storytelling capabilities,” Burns said. “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, the AI company involved in the partnership, also shared its perspective on the deal. Co-founder and co-CEO Cristóbal Valenzuela said the goal is to use AI as a tool for storytelling rather than just cutting production costs.

“We consistently see that the studios most serious about AI are thinking about it as a creative resource, not a cost-cutting tool,” Valenzuela said. “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.”

Lionsgate was one of the first major Hollywood studios to work with an AI company when it originally partnered with Runway in 2024. That earlier collaboration focused on testing how AI could be used in filmmaking, but it also faced limits when it came to producing full AI-generated films.

With this new deal, the companies are now moving into more direct production work. The plan is to create short episodic series using Lionsgate’s intellectual property and Runway’s generative AI tools. However, the companies have not yet shared which franchises will be used or what the final projects will look like.

A release timeline for the AI-generated series has not been announced. According to both companies, the work is still in development, and the focus is on experimenting with new ways of building stories using AI.

Lionsgate is also expected to take part in the Runway AI Festival in June as a presenting partner, showing further support for the growing role of AI in entertainment production.

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