China's 1st fully AI film 'Sanxingdui: Future Past' underperforms
China just released its first fully AI-made movie, Sanxingdui: Future Past, but it didn't exactly wow audiences.
Despite a huge budget in the tens of millions, it only brought in about 1.7 million yuan (roughly £191,000) at the box office.
Viewers just couldn't connect with the story or characters, even though all of the film's visuals and some of its sound effects were created using AI, while it was edited by humans.
China will keep producing AI films
Even with this flop, Chinese filmmakers aren't giving up on AI. Many see big potential because using AI can cut production costs and speed things up, a trend already booming with short-form microdramas online.
As Yu Yaqin, an independent film critic in Beijing, put it, "AI films will continue to be produced in China because investors place a high value on AI," even if traditional movies are holding their ground for now.