The film 'Sanxingdui: Future Past,' which runs for 100 minutes and was created using an end-to-end AI-driven workflow, premiered in Chinese cinemas on October 23rd. According to IT Home, this is the first film of its kind to receive public screening approval from the National Cinema Administration of China.
The film's production was carried out by Bona Film Group utilizing its proprietary Boka Film Cloud Studio platform. Over a period of more than two years, the team generated over 1.2 million base images and conducted more than a hundred full iterations of the film. The creators emphasize that every character is an original digital creation, and there are no digital copies of real actors in the movie.
Bona states that AI is primarily responsible for generation and execution, while ideas, script, shot design, and aesthetic judgments come from the AIGMS team of the company. The production process was organized according to the principles of a traditional film crew, involving about 100 people and 17 specialists, including screenwriters, directors, producers, production designers, cinematographers, lighting, sound, and editing specialists.
The plot unfolds in the future, where humanity has delegated all decisions to algorithms, triggering a global crisis. Clues to resolving this problem lie within seven ancient symbols from the Sanxingdui Bronze Age archaeological site located in Sichuan Province. The creators describe this structure as answers from the past and a crisis in the future.
The film's attendance has been modest. The publication National Business Daily reported low occupancy rates during the initial days of release. Specialists working in the AI content sector told the publication that long films created with AI still face challenges regarding consistency of characters, scenes, and details over 100 minutes, as well as image realism. One expert noted that viewers might perceive the AI-generated characters as artificial, hindering emotional connection. Another argued that the original script determines the final outcome: it is a content market, not a production market.
Bona announced that other AI-involved projects are in development, including the sci-fi animation 'Unplanned: Operation Guanghan,' which has not yet received a screening license. Other Chinese studios, such as Huayi Brothers and Huace, have also announced film and series projects utilizing AI. Currently, the film serves as a test to see if a complete AI-based production pipeline can create a picture that audiences will prefer over traditionally made films.