China's First AI-Produced Feature Film Set for October Release
China's first theatrical film produced entirely with AI, "Sanxingdui: Future Past," is scheduled for release on October 23, aiming to demonstrate AI's capability in long-form storytelling.
Bona Film Group announced that "Sanxingdui: Future Past," China's first hyper-realistic theatrical film to involve AI throughout its production process, will be released nationwide on October 23, 2026.
The release signifies a move for AI filmmaking beyond short videos and online series into long-form storytelling and theatrical production standards. The film combines the ancient Shu civilization with a futuristic sci-fi setting, featuring original digital creations for all characters, thus avoiding issues related to digital likeness rights.
AI was primarily used for image generation and content production, while the creative concept, narrative direction, and final artistic decisions remained with a professional team of over 100 individuals at Bona's AIGMS division. A significant challenge was maintaining consistency across the 100-minute runtime, necessitating manual calibration of details like character micro-expressions frame by frame.
The film took two years to produce, utilizing over 1.2 million source images. Boka Film Cloud's Infinite Canvas system integrated scripts, storyboards, characters, and other assets into a unified creative environment, reflecting a broader trend in AI infrastructure focused on efficient workflow integration rather than just content generation.
"Sanxingdui: Future Past" also explores AI as a central theme, depicting a future where human reliance on algorithms leads to systemic crisis. The film's release will indicate whether this model can function at an industrial scale, pushing AI filmmaking beyond feasibility questions toward its potential integration into the film industry.