This episode of AI x Visuals takes you on a full tour of how artificial intelligence is colliding with Hollywood, animation, and the visual arts. From Sylvester Stallone dreaming of directing a de-aged “young Rambo,” to brand-new AI film studios launching overseas, to Comic Con panels demanding protections for creators—this is the state of AI in cinema and beyond.We start with Stallone’s AI confession: he once considered making a Rambo prequel by digitally de-aging himself. It raises a bigger question—are we entering an era where actors control their own digital doubles? De-aging can extend careers, but it also risks erasing the beauty of age and lived experience on screen.Then we turn to Lionsgate’s partnership with Runway AI, where the studio is quietly training a model on its vast film library. The goal? Pre-visualization, storyboarding, and testing ideas faster. But the project isn’t public yet, and the reason is clear: copyright, likeness rights, and the risk of training on material they don’t fully own. It’s an early peek at how studios will use AI in practice—and the pitfalls ahead.At LA Comic Con, advocacy group Nava is pushing hard to protect creators. Their stance: AI must be opt-in, clearly labeled, and share profits when trained on someone else’s work. For visual artists and filmmakers, this is a line in the sand—will AI be a tool or a theft machine?The world of animation is also feeling the shift. Studios are using AI analytics to test which storyboards, character designs, or gags audiences might respond to before greenlighting them. That can save millions—but it risks sanding down surprise, turning art into a spreadsheet. Think Marvel reshoots, Sonic redesigns, and the creeping power of focus groups.Meanwhile, Luma AI’s Ray3 model is showing what next-gen video generation looks like. Integrated with Adobe Firefly, Ray3 outputs 10-, 12-, and even 16-bit HDR video, with scene coherence and multimodal reasoning. In plain English: sharper colors, smarter scene logic, and tools indie creators can actually use for cinematic experiments, concept testing, and even short films.And across the globe, Animeta in Singapore has launched a full AI-powered film studio. Their mission: scale media production with tiny teams—sometimes just 2 to 5 people—using AI for scripting, storyboards, and animation pipelines. It’s a direct challenge to the big studio model and a glimpse at how the future of film could be driven by passion projects rather than 300-person payrolls.We close by zooming out to the trend line: AI is redistributing power. Big studios are experimenting, but the real opportunity is for small, fearless teams who use AI to walk their own ideas further without needing millions in funding. The danger? Over-reliance on data and audience feedback could homogenize art. The promise? More personal, passionate, boundary-pushing work.Whether you’re a filmmaker, animator, or simply curious about the future of visual storytelling, this episode is your guide to the opportunities, pitfalls, and creative crossroads AI has set in motion.