The film, Sanxingdui: Future Past, blends imagery of the ancient Shu civilization with science fiction, the outlet reported. It was released on Saturday, 24 October 2026, and has drawn praise from viewers who described the picture quality as exceeding their expectations.
Why it matters
The release marks the first time a Chinese-made AI film has cleared the regulatory process required for commercial cinema screening, a step that carries weight for how the technology is treated within the country's film industry. According to Huolong News, the production involved two years of technical work.
What went into the production
The filmmakers generated more than 1.2 million base images over the course of the project and put the full film through more than a hundred rounds of revision, Huolong News reported. Every character in the film is an original digital creation rather than a likeness of a real performer.
The film also carries a specific notice informing audiences that its visuals, and some of its audio, were produced by artificial intelligence.
Cost and crew changes
Jiang Defu, chief executive of Bona Film Group and producer of Sanxingdui: Future Past, told reporters that scenes which once required enormous numbers of extras could cost several million yuan for a single shot and often had to be produced overseas. With AI tools, he said, such sequences can now be realized far more easily. He added that the company has begun work on another AI film project, Plan Out: Guanghan Operation.
The technology is also changing how crews are assembled. Li Dongshen, chief director of Hou Xiyouji, said his team numbers just over a hundred people, with more than 90 percent of them working directly on content production and creative work. In a conventional crew, he said, only about 40 percent of personnel sit on the creative front line, with the remainder filling support roles.
Building the tools
At the technical center of a media company in Changsha, Hunan province, staff are upgrading a production platform that handles text, image, audio and video generation across the whole pipeline, from scriptwriting and character design to content creation and asset management.
Xie Haoyuan, who leads algorithms at Mango Lingchuang, said the platform now brings together more than 40 leading industry models, including mainstream systems such as the Seedance video generation model alongside the company's own models. The platform is upgraded every month, he said, and recently added a 4D virtual set feature that builds 3D models through AI so that complex scenes can be rehearsed in advance, including the positioning of multiple performers and complicated camera moves.
Xie said AI tools can pre-set camera paths based on how furniture is arranged, how performers are posed and where props are placed, giving a high degree of control in difficult shots. If the lighting does not satisfy the creators, 3D lighting techniques can be used to adjust the color of the image.
The commercial question
Jiang said Bona has established a set of production rules covering the entire chain from creation to cinema projection, which he described as a useful attempt to address difficulties in industry development and film investment. AI films, he said, will also create opportunities for content extension and broader industry applications.
What to watch
Whether the film holds audiences through its full running time, and whether Bona's next AI project follows the same production model, will be the signals to track.
