Amazon MGM Studios vs Lionsgate

Amazon Uses AI to Sync Dubbed Lip Movements on Prime Video

Amazon is deploying an AI-driven 'Visual Dubbing' feature on Prime Video to adjust actors' lip movements to match synchronized audio tracks. The technology, which combines AI with classic VFX techniques, will first roll out on the series 'Maxton Hall', with the English dubbed versions of the first two seasons already available worldwide. The feature will also be available for the third and final season premiering on December 9, 2026. Human voice actors remain the source of the dubbed voices; only the visual component is altered. Prime Video has been experimenting with AI in dubbing, including a pilot program for AI-generated voices, but this new approach does not replace human speakers.

• Amazon's Visual Dubbing uses AI and VFX to match lip movements to dubbed audio.
• The feature is available for the English dub of 'Maxton Hall' seasons 1 and 2.
• The third and final season of 'Maxton Hall' will feature Visual Dubbing starting December 9, 2026.

Prime Video Unveils 2026/27 German Originals Slate

At a Berlin event, Prime Video unveiled its 2026/27 German originals slate, emphasizing continuity. The streamer now reaches over 17 million monthly ad-supported viewers. Highlights include the Gaumont-produced adaptation of Lilly Lucas's 'This Could Be Love'; the eighth season of 'LOL: Last One Laughing' around Easter 2027 and season two of 'LOL Next,' renewed before its first season aired; and the third and final 'Maxton Hall' season, premiering December 9. New titles span 'Perfekt Zusammen?!' with Anke Engelke and Bastian Pastewka, 'Drive – The Pretenders,' 'Queen Silvia' with Sat.1, Dennis Gansel's 'The Prototype,' and 'Holey Moley – Minigolf Extreme.' A fourth season of 'The 50' was confirmed. Tara Erer of Amazon MGM Studios noted German originals' global success, following Christoph Schneider's departure.

• Prime Video announced its 2026/27 German originals slate in Berlin.
• 'Maxton Hall' returns for its third and final season on December 9.
• 'LOL: Last One Laughing' gets season 8 around Easter 2027; 'LOL Next' season 2 was renewed before season 1 aired.

Petra Hengge on Amazon, Data and Creative Work

This profile/interview with Petra Hengge, head of German originals series at Amazon MGM Studios, covers her role commissioning German-language series, recent leadership departures at Amazon Germany, and her view on data and artificial intelligence in fiction production. Hengge, who joined Amazon in summer 2021 from RTL, emphasizes that data is used to validate intuition but cannot replace creative judgment. She says little AI was used on hits like Maxton Hall and only limited experimentation occurs in post-production. The piece also mentions current projects such as the Switzerland-set Superior and Amazon's upcoming Prime Video showcase in Berlin.

• Philip Pratt, Head of German Originals, left Amazon Germany in early August.
• Petra Hengge is Head of German Originals Series at Amazon MGM Studios; she joined in summer 2021 from RTL.
• Amazon/Prime Video will present upcoming highlights in Berlin on September 3.

8-K Financial Filing Analysis for Lionsgate (2026-09-15)

Starz Entertainment Corp. entered into a new multi-year employment agreement with Alison Hoffman, securing her continued leadership as President of Starz Networks through December 31, 2029. Effective August 6, 2026, the agreement supersedes her February 2023 contract and aligns executive compensation with the network's operational performance. The contract provides Hoffman with an annual base salary of $1,485,000, a target annual bonus of 150% of base salary, and annual equity award opportunities equal to 100% of her base salary across 2027, 2028, and 2029. The extension reinforces strategic continuity across Starz Networks' programming, streaming, and linear operations, while incorporating structured severance and change-in-control protections.

• Alison Hoffman's contract as President of Starz Networks has been extended through December 31, 2029, with an effective date of August 6, 2026.
• The agreement establishes an annual base salary of $1,485,000, a 150% target performance bonus, and annual equity grant targets equal to 100% of base salary starting in April 2027.
• Severance terms guarantee the greater of 18 months' base salary or the remainder of the term, alongside an additional 70% lump-sum payment and partial equity acceleration in the event of a change-in-control termination.

Lionsgate profile on State of Streaming

This State of Streaming company page aggregates coverage and resources related to Lionsgate, identifying it as a streaming app with ticker LION and linking to the company website (https://www.lionsgate.com/). The page lists recent State of Streaming coverage items about Lionsgate, including February 2026 stories on an AI hire and box office/earnings coverage, November 2025 items about a Nielsen partnership, a shift to digital home entertainment, and the launch of MovieSphere Gold, plus an October 2025 item about Starz after the Lionsgate split. The page also promotes State of Streaming editorial products (ebook, podcast, newsletters) and provides navigation to other site sections (articles, videos, directory).

• Lionsgate is listed with ticker: LION on the State of Streaming company page.
• Company website provided: https://www.lionsgate.com/.
• State of Streaming coverage items reference Lionsgate news in Feb 2026, Nov 2025, and Oct 2025 (AI hire, box office vs. earnings, Nielsen partnership, digital pivot, MovieSphere Gold launch, Starz separation).

Investor Presentation Released: Lionsgate

AI parsed presentation narrative: Lionsgate is positioning itself as a premier standalone content powerhouse preparing to report its first quarter fiscal 2027 financial results. The company emphasizes its 'pure play' status and the depth of its 20,000-title content library as central to its value proposition. Key tailwinds mentioned: Pure Play Content Strategy, Library Monetization.