Proprietary AI models could allow Lionsgate execs to watch a rough draft of a movie before they make greenlight decisions.

Lionsgate partnered with AI vendor Runway to create AI-generated films using their film archives. The deal has sparked criticism, with concerns about replacing human creatives in film production. Lionsgate claims the AI model will augment, not displace, human creators in pre- and post-production processes.

AI startup Runway has made a name for itself building generative models seemingly trained on unlicensed content from around the internet. Now, the company has signed a deal with Lionsgate that will give it access to the studio’s massive portfolio of films and TV shows.