Luma partners with Wonder Project for AI-powered filmmaking

AI video generation startup Luma has launched a new production company called Innovative Dreams in partnership with Wonder Project, a studio that produces religious and family-friendly content. The joint venture’s first project, “The Old Stories: Moses,” will star British actor Ben Kingsley and is scheduled to debut this spring on the streaming service Amazon Prime Video.

According to Wonder Project leader and director Jon Erwin, Innovative Dreams will utilize a “real-time hybrid filmmaking” process. This workflow combines performance capture—a technique where actors perform in suits and facial markers so their movements and expressions can be digitally captured—and virtual production, which uses LED screens and game-engine graphics during filming to blend physical and digital environments. Luma stated on Thursday in a social media post that this approach represents “a significant improvement over the current virtual production and performance capture processes where things come together only in post.” The company described the new venture as a production services company where filmmakers from Erwin’s team and Luma’s creative technologists will work with studios to help them realize ambitious ideas. Luma’s tools, such as Luma Agents, are designed to allow creative teams to collaborate in real time to modify sets, props, and lighting while integrating footage of human actors. Luma argues that this represents the true leverage of AI, making the process not just faster or cheaper, but better than what came before.

The launch reflects a broader shift among artificial intelligence startups moving from software tooling into active content creation. Competitors are pursuing similar paths; last week, Higgsfield launched an original series starting with a 10-minute sci-fi episode, while London-based creative studio Wonder Studios is working on a documentary with Campfire Studios. This transition aligns with emerging arguments about production economics. Runway co-founder and co-CEO Cristóbal Valenzuela recently suggested that film studios should take the $100 million typically spent on a single film and instead use AI to produce 50 films to increase their chances of making a blockbuster. Luma founder and CEO Amit Jain has made a similar case, telling TechCrunch that generative AI makes filmmaking faster, cheaper, and more efficient, helping to offset soaring production costs in Hollywood. Wonder Project, which was launched in 2023 by Erwin and former Netflix executive Kelly Hoogstraten to serve the faith and values audience globally, previously released the Biblical drama series “House of David” on Amazon Prime Video in 2025. While Wonder Project focuses on faith-based programming, Innovative Dreams will be available for projects across multiple genres and with other studios.

Why it matters

Luma is expanding from AI tooling into active film production to demonstrate the efficiency and creative potential of generative AI in professional filmmaking. This move signals a potential shift in how studios approach production economics and manage soaring Hollywood costs.