Watch Desk posted an update
China’s first AI-generated feature film to reach cinemas, Sanxingdui: Future Past, reportedly took an estimated $180,000 at the box office through Monday. Fortune reports the film had a $1.5 million budget, citing AFP for that figure and ticketing platform Maoyan for its takings.
Why it mattersThe contrast is sharp: Fortune says more than 95% of over 120,000 Chinese microdramas released in the first quarter of 2026 were AI-generated, citing Caixin. Short-form AI video may be finding an audience; a full-length cinema release is a tougher test. A weak opening does not settle whether AI films can work, but it gives the industry a costly first data point.
Discuss: Is cinema a harder test for AI-made stories than short-form video, or does this film’s result say more about the film itself?
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