Data from Maoyan Pro reveals that China’s first AI-generated feature film to obtain a public screening license from the National Film Administration, titled ‘Sanxingdui: Tales of the Future,’ has amassed 1.162 million yuan in box office revenue since its debut on October 23. This 100-minute film stands out for its entirely original digital characters, created without digitally replicating any real-life actors.

Set against a futuristic backdrop where humanity entrusts decision-making to algorithms, inadvertently sparking a global crisis, the narrative centers on seven ancient inscriptions unearthed from Sanxingdui. These inscriptions hold the crucial key to resolving the impending disaster, weaving a distinctive storyline where “the solution resides in the past, while the crisis looms in the future.”

The entire production process was carried out via Bona’s proprietary ‘Bona Film Cloud Studio.’ Over two years, the creative team generated over 1.2 million foundational images and completed hundreds of iterations of the full film. While AI was responsible for the bulk of the generation and execution tasks, the creative vision, screenwriting, shot composition, and aesthetic evaluations were overseen by Bona’s AIGMS team. This team was structured into 17 specialized roles, mirroring the setup of a traditional film crew, and involved the participation of nearly 100 individuals.