The First Chinese AI Film About AI Has Premiered

• 31.10.2026, 13:11

The painting was inspired by archaeological finds from the ancient Sanxindui civilization.

While the first installment of Elon Musk’s epic, created by artificial intelligence, "Odyssey" disappointed audiences in the U.S., the first feature-length AI film to receive a wide theatrical release suffered a resounding box-office flop in China.

The science fiction thriller *Sanxingdui: Future Past, which hit theaters last week, grossed approximately $198,000, according to the news agency Agence France-Presse.

Jiang Defu, CEO of the production company Bona Film Group , noted in an interview with the Chinese publication Yuli that the film was still an important experience:

“We were the first to try this, the first to receive a theatrical release permit, and the first to have our work evaluated by the audience. I believe that was no easy feat.”

One of the first viewers commented on the film’s quality: “In terms of quality, compared to human-made productions, it still falls short.”

Despite this, the failure of a single film does not halt the overall trend. According to Fortune, in China, artificial intelligence has almost completely taken over the segment of short online series (microdramas), where 95% of the content is created by algorithms.

The 100-minute film *Future Past* is inspired by archaeological discoveries from the ancient Sanxingdui civilization. Ironically, the plot depicts a future where super-intelligent AI has spread across the entire planet, and humanity has handed over control to algorithms, ultimately plunging the world into a massive crisis.

Previously, other films created with the help of artificial intelligence were released in limited theatrical runs: the 95-minute Indian musical *Love You* in May 2025 and the Malaysian film *Pirate Queen: Zheng Yi Sao* in January. In the U.S., the release of the first R-rated AI feature film, titled *Gods Don’t Give Gifts* by YouTuber Gossip Goblin, is scheduled for December 4.