China’s First Fully AI Film Faces Box-Office Test

Artificial intelligence is moving beyond short-form online content into full-length cinema, but attracting paying audiences remains a challenge. China’s first fully AI-generated feature film, Sanxingdui: Future Past, opened in cinemas on Friday, October 23. Despite the technological milestone, weak advance ticket sales have raised questions about its commercial prospects.

More than 10,000 screenings of the science-fiction thriller were scheduled for its opening day, according to ticketing platform Maoyan, as reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP). The figure refers to scheduled screenings, rather than 10,000 separate cinemas.

Maoyan data showed that advance ticket revenue had reached 80,000 yuan, or approximately US$11,980, by Friday morning. At that point, the platform’s preliminary forecast put total box-office revenue below 150,000 yuan. Ticket prices ranged from 20 to 90 yuan.

The projected earnings were modest compared with the film’s production costs. Bona Film Group said the project cost more than 10 million yuan, equivalent to about US$1.5 million. Nearly 100 people worked on the production for more than two years.

The film’s actors, voices and backgrounds were all generated using AI. Its story explores the influence of artificial intelligence and the future of humanity, making the project both a filmmaking experiment and an attempt to test how far generative technology can go in creating cinematic characters and settings.

Jiang Defu, chief executive of Bona Film Group, acknowledged the muted audience response in a recent interview but described the production as an effort to push the boundaries of filmmaking. Speaking to Chinese film industry outlet Yuli, he said the team was the first to attempt such a production, secure theatrical release approval and put the result to a public test.

AI-generated video is already attracting substantial online audiences in China. According to AFP, AI-generated short dramas on Douyin—the Chinese video-sharing platform known internationally as TikTok—received more than 200 billion views in September alone.

However, online viewing figures do not necessarily translate into cinema ticket sales. Audiences may be curious about AI-generated entertainment without automatically being willing to pay to watch it in a theatre. Storytelling, visual quality and the overall cinematic experience may all influence whether viewers consider a ticket worth the price.

The film’s release therefore presents a significant commercial test for AI filmmaking. The technology has demonstrated the ability to produce an entire feature, but the next question is whether that capability can translate into sustained audience demand and financially viable cinema releases.

//DBTech/INM/MSI/MVNO//