Runway, a startup that develops AI video tools, including generative video models, has partnered with Lionsgate, makers of the “John Wick” and “Twilight” series, to train custom video models on Lionsgate's movie catalog. The models will be accessible to the studio's “filmmakers, directors and other creative talent” to “augment their work,” Lionsgate vice chairman Michael Burns said in a statement.
Runway is also looking into licensing its models as templates for individual creators to build and train their own custom models. The company is the first generative AI startup to publicly partner with a major Hollywood studio. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Disney and Paramount were in talks with generative AI providers, but those talks have yet to bear fruit.
Lionsgate's deal with Runway came a day after California signed a bill into law restricting the use of AI digital replicas in film and TV projects, and as Runway fights a lawsuit alleging the company trained models on copyrighted material without permission.