logo
Netflix using startup Runway AI's video tools for production

Netflix using startup Runway AI's video tools for production

Netflix Inc. has begun using artificial intelligence video generation software from startup Runway AI, testing the waters with a technology that's controversial in Hollywood.
Netflix is currently using the New York-based startup's tools in content production, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named in order to discuss private conversations. Netflix declined to comment.
Walt Disney Co., meanwhile, has been testing out Runway's technology and has talked with the startup about possible uses for its generative AI tools, the person said. A Disney spokesperson said the company has no plans to integrate Runway's software into its content production pipeline at this time. Runway declined to comment.
The companies' use of Runway's AI video tools, which has not previously been reported, could raise concerns in the entertainment industry. Many film and TV professionals are anxious about AI's impact on their livelihoods. Disney recently sued Midjourney Inc., another AI image and video startup, for copyright infringement. But AI also offers the promise of speeding up some video production tasks and saving money.
In a conference call Thursday, after Netflix released its second-quarter results, co-Chief Executive Officer Ted Sarandos said the company is using AI in content production. That includes creating special effects shots more quickly and cheaply than it previously had been able to with traditional visual effects tools and processes.
Sarandos said Netflix used the technology for the first time on screen to depict a building collapsing in a show called 'El Eternaut' from Argentina. He did not disclose which AI software it used for that particular scene; a source familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named in order to discuss private information, said Runway's software was not used to create the effect.
Runway is competing in an increasingly crowded corner of the fast-growing market for AI tools with established companies like OpenAI and Google, along with a slew of smaller, newer startups.
The startup has more traction than most AI startups in Hollywood, however. It kicked off a frenzy around AI video generators in early 2023 with the release of a model that could produce slightly choppy-looking three-second clips based on written prompts such as 'drone footage of a desert landscape.' Its technology has since become far more capable and the company has inked a deal with Lionsgate to train an AI model on the studio's content that can be used in its film projects.
Investors have poured $545 million into the company thus far, with a funding round of $308 million earlier this year valuing the company at more than $3 billion.
More recently, Runway has pushed deeper into the world of animation and special effects. Earlier this month, the company started rolling out a new AI model called Act-Two that is meant to make the motion-capture process — traditionally clunky, pricey and time consuming — simpler and cheaper. The model, which works with Runway's flagship Gen-4 AI system, can map a video of a person's body movements onto animated characters.
Other AI startups have also tried to make inroads in the entertainment industry. As Bloomberg News previously reported, OpenAI spent months talking to large studios, including Disney, about its AI video generator, Sora. While OpenAI has found a receptive audience among some filmmakers, it has yet to announce a large commercial partnership for the product.
Metz writes for Bloomberg.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Inside the Hulk Hogan Biopic with Chris Hemsworth and Why It Was Never Made
Inside the Hulk Hogan Biopic with Chris Hemsworth and Why It Was Never Made

Yahoo

time17 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Inside the Hulk Hogan Biopic with Chris Hemsworth and Why It Was Never Made

Hulk Hogan called the Netflix biopic's script "powerful," even hoping Chris Hemsworth would receive Oscar attention for his role Hulk Hogan's life story was almost a feature film before his death. The former wrestler, who gained fame in the '80s and '90s, died on Thursday, July 24 at 71. He was set to be portrayed by one of Hollywood's most chiseled actors, Chris Hemsworth, in a Netflix biopic. But, according to Hogan in a former interview, contract issues killed the project. First announced in 2019, the film was to be helmed by Joker director Todd Phillips. The Hollywood Reporter reported at the time that Hemsworth, 41, would play Hogan throughout his career and the movie would be "an origin story of the Hulkster and Hulkamania." In a 2020 interview with Total Film, via Comic Book, Hemsworth shared his excitement for portraying the rise of Hulkamania on screen. "This movie is going to be a really fun project," Hemsworth said. "As you can imagine, the preparation for the role will be insanely physical. I will have to put on more size than I ever have before, even more than I put on for Thor. There is the accent as well as the physicality and the attitude." "I will also have to do a deep dive into the rabbit hole of the wrestling world, which I'm really looking forward to doing," Hemsworth said, adding he'll also have to dye his hair blond and have a mustache to match the wrestler's iconic look. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In 2021, the film still seemed a go — with Hogan sharing an appreciative photo of the Thor actor showing off some bulky arms on Instagram. "My brother has that Hogan Pump on Jack, looks like he could slam Andre brother," Hogan captioned the shot, referring to late iconic wrestler Andre the Giant. (Hemsworth had originally posted the photo on his social media to celebrate wrapping Thor: Love and Thunder.) Three years later, during an interview with PDB Podcast, Hogan revealed while he loved the script and even believed Hemsworth could receive Oscar attention, the film had hit a dead end due to the contract. 'They kind of missed a beat in the contract," Hogan said, agreeing with host Patrick Bet-David when asked if Netflix was at fault. "There was a payment that wasn't placed at the right time. The script was amazing. Scott Silver, who wrote the script for Joker, Wolf of Wall Street, a bunch of other movies, said, 'This is the best thing I've ever written.' When I read it, I'm like, oh my god, this is really good." Hogan shared that he worked with Silver for three years, noting it was "very, very dark" but it "was probably what the public may want to see." "When I read it I was like, 'Oh my gosh, if this thing comes out…' there was talk that Chris Hemsworth had never played a real person before and he could probably win an Oscar, this thing is so powerful," Hogan added. In a 2024 interview with Variety, Phillips, 54, also confirmed the film was scrapped. "I love what we were trying to do, but that's not going to come together for me," he said. Hogan had starred in various films himself, including appearing in Rocky III as Thunderlips, as well as having roles in No Holds Barred, Suburban Commando, and Mr. Nanny. On television, he starred in the series Thunder in Paradise and Hogan Knows Best, and had guest appearances on shows like Baywatch and American Dad!. Hogan was recently the subject of the 2017 Netflix film, Nobody Speak, which focused on his high-profile lawsuit against Gawker, the online news outlet that published a sex tape without his permission. The years-long suit ended with Hogan being awarded a multimillion-dollar settlement in 2016, and Gawker and its affiliated websites were later sold off when the company declared bankruptcy. Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword

‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians' Charts a Seafaring Course for Season 2
‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians' Charts a Seafaring Course for Season 2

Gizmodo

time18 minutes ago

  • Gizmodo

‘Percy Jackson and the Olympians' Charts a Seafaring Course for Season 2

It was no surprise when Percy Jackson and the Olympians was renewed for a second season in early 2024—the Disney+ series was a hit when it premiered back in 2023, building on the popularity of Rick Riordan's fantasy-adventure novel series. Then—earlier this year, before season two even arrived—it was renewed for a third installment. That's a huge boost of confidence for all involved, and the excitement came through in the show's San Diego Comic-Con panel, held in the cavernous Hall H. Come sail away. #PercyJackson and the Olympians Season 2 is coming to #DisneyPlus December 10. — Percy Jackson (@PercySeries) July 24, 2025Here's Disney's description of season two: 'Percy Jackson returns to Camp Half-Blood one year later to find his world turned upside down. His friendship with Annabeth is changing, he learns he has a cyclops for a brother, Grover has gone missing, and camp is under siege from the forces of Kronos. Percy's journey to set things right will take him off the map and into the deadly Sea of Monsters, where a secret fate awaits the son of Poseidon.' That makes sense, since season two arrives in December 10, and will adapt The Sea of Monsters, the second book in Riordan's series. On hand for the panel were the stars of the show (Walker Scobell, Leah Sava Jeffries, Aryan Simhadri, Charlie Bushnell, Dior Goodjohn, and Daniel Diemer), plus executive producers Jon Steinberg, Craig Silverstein, and Dan Shotz. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

New Wells Fargo program is fueling businesses on the brink of expansion
New Wells Fargo program is fueling businesses on the brink of expansion

Business Journals

time18 minutes ago

  • Business Journals

New Wells Fargo program is fueling businesses on the brink of expansion

Yuta Katsuyama came to Chicago from Tokyo in 2018 to study at Illinois Tech's Institute of Design. When he arrived, he found foods like sushi and ramen throughout the city, but he couldn't find his favorite food from his homeland: rice balls called onigiri. In 2020, Katsuyama invited Cristina Tarriba to join him on a five-week business prototype project for school. They cooked in a shared kitchen, took pre-orders and delivered onigiris in his Chevy Volt — dubbed the 'Onigiri Shuttle'— across the city. After the project ended, the partners decided to become food entrepreneurs full-time and launched Onigiri Kororin inside food and beverage incubator The Hatchery. By the end of 2024, the business had grown to where its grab-and-go products were sold in more than 60 stores across Chicago. To satisfy increasing demand, the partners needed to expand operations. That was going to require a significant capital investment — one the business could not afford on its own. Instead, it found another way, through Wells Fargo's new $20 million Open for Business Growth program. The program had awarded a $2.5 million grant to the Chicago-based nonprofit Allies for Community Business (A4CB), which co-owns The Hatchery with the Industrial Council of Nearwest Chicago (ICNC). A4CB provided Onigiri Kororin with $210,000 in revenue-based financing, which allowed the business to expand to a larger kitchen at ICNC's Make City incubator and increase staffing. 'Our new kitchen is three times bigger, and we can have eight team members working at the same time, more than doubling our staffing capacity,' Katsuyama said. 'We want to continue to grow by introducing other types of products and eventually expand to other states across the U.S. The loan was transformative to allow us to take the next step.' Katsuyama's school-project-turned-business now has 25 employees. Creative capital makes expansion more accessible A4CB — which provides capital, coaching and connections for entrepreneurs — was the first grant recipient of the Wells Fargo Open for Business Growth program, which was created specifically to support small businesses on the brink of expansion. The challenge: Many of these businesses need more than a microloan but are not yet large enough for traditional financing, said Kimelyn Harris, Wells Fargo's head of small business philanthropy. expand 'When small businesses don't get the capital they need, they remain stagnant,' she said. 'Flexible capital is what's needed most.' The program gives nonprofit partners like A4CB the opportunity to develop products and services that empower small businesses looking to scale so more of them can achieve next-level growth. With its Open for Business Growth grant, A4CB will focus on growing the construction industry around Chicago and helping retail and restaurant businesses like Onigiri Kororin that have fluctuating revenue flow. The organization is piloting a new revenue-based financing model — the same one provided to Onigiri Kororin — and expanding access to its partnership with HIRE360, a specialized construction loan program that offers advisory services and mentoring. The Wells Fargo grant funding also supports free business coaching for A4CB's clients. 'We'll be able to expand our offerings to far more entrepreneurs because of Wells Fargo's support,' said Brad McConnell, CEO of A4CB, noting that this is 'creative capital' that doesn't dilute the entrepreneur's ownership. Flexible financing, he said, allows debt payments to better align with revenue as it fluctuates. A4CB estimates clients supported by the grant will generate as many as 260 local jobs as they execute larger contracts and create new opportunities. 'Supporting entrepreneurship is hard, expensive and risky,' McConnell said. 'We're really good at what we do, but we can't take on those risks and expenses on our own. Wells Fargo cares about the same things we care about: investing in communities so there is wealth building. This collaboration allows us to invest in entrepreneurs who are ready to create jobs and wealth in the community.' Building on a track record of small business support The Open for Business Growth program builds on the success of Wells Fargo's $420 million Open for Business Fund, which collaborated with community organizations during the pandemic. According to grantees, the fund has benefited roughly 336,000 small businesses and has enabled them to keep or maintain 461,000 jobs nationwide. The impact the new program is generating in Chicago is just the beginning. In the coming year, it will expand to other markets across the U.S. 'This program supports the businesses that are ready to scale, hire additional staff, build capacity and deepen their community impact,' Harris said. 'This funding empowers nonprofits to develop innovative products, solutions and services to help these businesses grow sustainably. These businesses play a vital role in creating jobs and sustaining the vibrancy of local communities. Our mission is to strengthen their ability to thrive for the long term.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store