Sanxingdui: AI Film Flops at China Box Office

Sanxingdui: Future Past, China's first fully AI-generated feature, opened in theaters on Monday and earned only $180,000. Its $1.5 million budget dwarfs the modest takings, underscoring the film's commercial failure. Produced by Bona Film Group, the sci-fi thriller follows an archaeologist racing to save a future enslaved by AI. Jiang Defu, Bona's COO, said the film was an important experiment and the first to receive a theatrical release permit. Social media was split: one Xiaohongshu user said the movie "traumatized me," another praised its low cost and creative freedom. In 2026, 95 % of the 120,000 microdramas released in China were AI-generated, costing as little as $3,000. The flop shows audiences remain skeptical of AI in full-length movies, according to USC professor Stanley Rosen. Rosen warns only films matching "Avatar" or "Nezha 2" might attract viewers, suggesting a future home on streaming platforms. The financial loss will make other studios tread carefully before using AI for feature films.