Lionsgate announced a bold plan to use AI to remake its big franchises. Michael Burns told Vulture that the studio could turn a popular series into an anime created entirely by AI in just hours. The claim promised faster production and new revenue streams.
The Promise and the Reality
The studio signed a deal with Runway AI. The agreement gave Runway access to Lionsgate’s entire film catalog. On paper the partnership looked like a gold mine. In practice the catalog was not large enough to train a robust AI model. Experts say a generative AI system needs massive data sets to produce convincing results. Even tools with huge data pools, such as Google Veo and OpenAI Sora, still produce glitches and uncanny moments.
Technical Limits Hold Back Progress
Runway struggled to build a custom model that could handle Lionsgate’s library. The AI produced clunky visuals and odd animation. Without enough training material the system could not learn the nuances of the studio’s style. The result was a prototype that fell short of the studio’s expectations.
Legal Questions Add to the Challenge
Burns also raised a legal dilemma. He asked who should be paid when AI recreates a film. Actors, writers, directors, and even crew members could claim a share of the revenue. Owning the IP does not erase the many rights attached to a movie. The lack of clear guidelines slowed the partnership further.
Lionsgate Still Pushes Forward
Despite setbacks, Lionsgate says it remains committed to AI. Peter Wilkes, the studio’s chief communications officer, told Gizmodo that AI helps improve quality, cut costs, and speed up licensing. He added that the studio has already used AI on several film and television projects.
Experiments with AI Generated Trailers
The studio is testing an AI generated trailer for a film that has not yet been shot. The goal is to pitch the concept to buyers with fabricated footage. This experiment shows that Lionsgate still believes AI can create useful marketing tools, even if full movie production remains elusive.
What the Future Holds
The partnership with Runway has not delivered the promised AI movie engine. Yet Lionsgate continues to explore AI for other purposes. Whether AI will become a creative partner or just a shortcut for executives is still uncertain. For now, the studio’s AI movie dreams face more hurdles than the original hype suggested.
Source: Geek Tyrant
