China’s first fully artificial intelligence-generated feature film has opened in cinemas, facing a challenging box-office debut as advance ticket sales remain low despite the country’s rapidly expanding technology industry.
The science-fiction thriller Sanxingdui: Future Past began its theatrical release on Friday, with more than 10,000 screenings scheduled nationwide, according to ticketing platform Maoyan. However, audience interest has remained limited ahead of its release.
Presale revenue stood at 80,000 yuan, approximately $11,980, as of Friday morning, while total box-office earnings were projected to remain below 150,000 yuan. The estimated revenue falls significantly short of the film’s reported production cost of more than 10 million yuan, or approximately $1.5 million.
Ticket prices range from 20 to 90 yuan, with only a few thousand tickets sold, according to available estimates.
Jiang Defu, chief executive of production company Bona Film Group, acknowledged the film’s modest reception but described the project as an important step towards exploring new possibilities in filmmaking.
He said the production was the first of its kind to receive theatrical release approval in China and would be judged directly by cinema audiences.
According to Bona Film Group, nearly 100 people worked on the project for more than two years. Despite the use of AI to generate the actors, their voices and the film’s backgrounds, the production reportedly cost more than 10 million yuan.
The film explores humanity’s future in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. However, its technological novelty has not been enough to persuade all viewers that it merits the price of a cinema ticket.
Iris Yang, who attended a free preview screening on Thursday, said she would not have paid to watch the film because of its perceived quality. She added that AI-generated cinema could attract paying audiences if it matched the theatrical experience and visual standards of major productions such as Avatar.
AI-generated videos have gained considerable popularity in China, the world’s second-largest economy. On Douyin, China’s equivalent of TikTok, AI-generated short dramas reportedly attracted more than 200 billion views in September alone.
However, industry experts say online popularity does not necessarily translate into ticket sales.
Independent AI director Zhang Jun said audiences would not automatically pay to watch a film simply because artificial intelligence was used in its production.
Chinese social media users have also expressed reservations about paying for AI-generated movies, with some suggesting the content might be better suited to free streaming platforms at its current stage of development.
The growing use of artificial intelligence in filmmaking has sparked debate across the global entertainment industry, particularly over its potential impact on jobs, creative roles and traditional production methods.
In Hollywood, film workers have raised concerns about the possibility of AI replacing human performers and other professionals.
An AI-generated science-fiction feature, Gods Don’t Give Gifts, is scheduled for release in the United States on December 4. Meanwhile, virtual AI actor Tilly Norwood is set to appear in an upcoming film titled Misaligned, following widespread online attention and industry debate over AI-generated performers.
The performance of Sanxingdui: Future Past could provide an early indication of whether audiences are ready to embrace AI-generated feature films in cinemas or whether the technology still needs substantial improvements to meet mainstream expectations.
