China’s first fully AI-generated movie, Sanxingdui: Future Past, has earned just 1.7 million yuan (£191,000) at the box office. Its producer said the film cost “tens of millions” to make, while people in the industry say investors remain interested in AI productions despite its poor performance.
The film follows a future society that relies on algorithms for its decisions and faces a global catastrophe. Its characters try to prevent disaster by unlocking a code connected to the Sanxingdui bronze sculptures, with the story taking them through ancient Egypt and space-time vortices.
The production company used its in-house AI scriptwriting tool, Bowen. AI generated all the visuals and some sound effects, while humans edited the film. A review of a Beijing screening described the cinema as virtually empty and the movie as confusing, with characters whose running movements resembled those of video-game figures.
Independent film critic Yu Yaqin said the movie flopped because it was not entertaining, but expected AI films to keep being made in China because investors place a high value on the technology. A Beijing screenplay-development worker said many of the projects she had recently been approached about were AI films, adding that investors see them as the future partly because they may cost less to produce.
AI-generated microdramas are already common on Chinese streaming platforms, with tens of thousands uploaded each month. The short-form sector is estimated to be worth $3 billion, although it remains smaller than the traditional film industry. One possible factor in Sanxingdui’s weak box office is that audiences may be reluctant to pay 50 yuan (£5.60) for a cinema ticket when similar content is available free on their phones.
A state media commentary described Sanxingdui as riddled with flaws but suggested it could be remembered as an early step in the development of AI cinema. Yu said audiences may still be more willing to pay for films that offer a distinctive experience.
Sources: The Guardian Film.