China’s first fully AI-generated feature cleared for theatrical release has drawn a muted box-office response, taking an estimated $180,000 by Monday, October 26, against a production budget of about $1.5 million. For Bona Film Group, the result offers an early test of AI filmmaking in cinemas—and suggests that the rapid adoption of AI in short-form video may not translate into ticket sales for feature films.
“Sanxingdui: Future Past” earns about $180,000
The science-fiction thriller, produced by Bona Film Group, follows an archaeologist trying to save a future world enslaved by artificial intelligence. It screened in cinemas including Shanghai, becoming China’s first feature released theatrically with AI generation as its primary production method.
The film’s estimated box office stood at about $180,000 on Monday, compared with production costs of roughly $1.5 million. That puts gross ticket sales at around one-eighth of the budget, although box-office revenue is not the same as the amount ultimately recovered by the producer: cinema revenue sharing and other distribution costs also affect returns. The available figures point to a substantial gap between the film’s takings and its production spend.
Bona Film Group Chief Operating Officer Jiang Defu acknowledged the subdued response but described the release as an important experiment. He said the team was among the first to try this approach and secure approval for a theatrical release, putting its work before audiences—a difficult step, in his view. The result offers a market test not only for this film but also for companies considering AI-generated features.
Short-form AI production has yet to prove demand for features
AI production has spread quickly across China’s microdrama sector, where short episodes are typically made for video platforms. Industry data show that more than 95% of the over 120,000 microdramas released in China in the first quarter of 2026 were AI-generated, compared with a share close to zero a year earlier. Production costs for some microdramas have fallen to about $3,000.
But short-form content differs from a theatrical feature in both production economics and viewing habits. “Sanxingdui: Future Past” suggests that lower production barriers do not automatically persuade audiences to buy cinema tickets. Stanley Rosen, a University of Southern California professor who studies Chinese film and society, has said that broad acceptance of short-form content does not necessarily mean viewers will welcome AI’s role in large-scale film production.
Social media reactions have been mixed. One Xiaohongshu user said the film had left them “shocked,” while another argued that low-cost AI filmmaking could give creators more freedom to tell stories. The contrasting responses point to no clear consensus among viewers, while theatrical receipts provide a more direct commercial test.
Hollywood is experimenting, but audiences will judge the finished film
AI’s role in filmmaking is also contested in the US entertainment industry. In 2023, writers and actors went on strike, with calls for safeguards around the use of AI among their demands. At the same time, models from companies including ByteDance and Higgsfield AI have been used in Hollywood productions.
Netflix’s crime thriller “Animals,” released on October 9, also used AI. Director Ben Affleck said at a Bloomberg event that he had used AI “in a lot of places” in the film, without specifying where. He explained that the movie aimed for realism and that he had reservations about publicly identifying the specific parts made with AI.
Rosen has questioned whether audiences will pay for AI-made theatrical films unless they can match the quality of titles such as “Avatar” or “Ne Zha 2.” He has suggested that AI features may be better suited to streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. For now, “Sanxingdui: Future Past” has taken about $180,000 against a $1.5 million production budget, providing an early measure of the market response to AI-driven theatrical releases.