China’s first AI-generated film to get a theatrical release flops at the box office
Source: Fortune ·
Sanxingdui: Future Past only generated around $180,000 at the box office, despite costing $1.5 million to make.
From the source
Chinese audiences may be happy to let AI generate their microdramas—but a fully AI-generated feature film may be a step too far. China’s first AI-generated feature to release in cinemas, the sci-fi thriller Sanxingdui: Future Past, flopped at the Chinese box office. The movie, produced by Bona Film Group, tells the story of an archaeologist who must save the future world enslaved by AI, according to Chinese state media. It only managed to generate an estimated $180,000 through Monday, according to ticketing platform Maoyan. The film had a budget of $1.5 million, according to AFP. Jiang Defu, the company’s chief operating officer, acknowledged the film’s lukewarm reception in an interview with Chinese film outlet Yuli. Still, he argued Sanxingdui was an important experiment. “We are the first to try it, the first to get a theatrical release permit, and the first to be tested by the audience,” he said. “I think that is not easy at all.” Fortune has reached out to Bona Film Group for…