China releases first fully AI-generated feature film as box office underperforms

A fully AI-generated feature film, “Sanxingdui: Future Past,” is released in China and performs poorly at the box office. IndieWire reports the film earns about $181,000 in its opening weekend, despite a production budget of around $1.5 million.

Multiple outlets identify the movie as China’s first fully AI-generated theatrical feature. The Next Web adds that ticketing platform Maoyan shows roughly $180,000 in the first four days, while the production cost is reported as over 10 million yuan (about $1.5 million), citing statements from the studio, Bona Film Group. The Onion also highlights the release, framing it as a milestone for AI in filmmaking while noting that ticket sales are “abysmal.”