Lionsgate Struggles to Enter AI Filmmaking With Runway

Lionsgate, the studio behind blockbuster franchises such as The Hunger Games, John Wick, The Twilight Saga, and Saw, is reportedly struggling to break into AI-generated filmmaking.

According to The Wrap, the studio’s partnership with AI video company Runway has so far delivered little progress, highlighting the steep challenges of training models with limited data.

Industry insiders note that Lionsgate’s extensive catalog still falls short of what is needed to power an AI system capable of producing full-length films. “The Lionsgate catalog is too small to create a model,” one source told The Wrap, adding that even Disney’s vast library would be insufficient.

Runway, considered one of the leading names in AI video, relies on massive datasets to generate realistic clips. But rights issues present another obstacle.

Using actors’ likenesses in AI-generated content raises unresolved questions about ownership, consent, and compensation. “In the movie and television industry, each production will have a variety of interested rights holders,” an attorney told The Wrap.

The setbacks illustrate the limitations of AI in Hollywood, despite its hype. For Lionsgate, the dream of proprietary AI movies with Runway may remain elusive — at least until the technology, and the legal framework around it, matures.