China's first fully AI-generated film flops at the box office

Sci-fi thriller Sanxingdui: Future Past from Bona Film Group opened in Chinese theaters on October 23 with a reported budget of about $1.5 million. It had earned roughly $181,000 by Monday despite 10,000 screenings on its first day, making a return unlikely.

• Box office reached about $181,000 against a reported $1.5 million budget
• The film had 10,000 screenings on opening day but drew weak demand
• Nearly 100 people worked over two years; AI generated the actors and all scenes
• Over 95% of 120,000 Chinese microdramas in Q1 2026 were AI-generated