AI film underperforms at box office
The science fiction thriller Sanxingdui: Future Past has drawn minimal public interest since its release on October 23, with an average of two spectators per screening. The film, which claims to be the first entirely generated by artificial intelligence to be released in theaters, was produced by Bona Film Group.Low revenue highlights financial struggle
According to data from the online ticketing platform Maoyan, the film's revenue four days after its release was 1.22 million yuan (163,300 euros). This amount is considered negligible in the context of Chinese cinema, and the film has not managed to cover its production costs of 10 million yuan (1.3 million euros).Poor pre-sales and limited screenings
Pre-sale revenues were estimated at 80,000 yuan (about 10,700 euros) on the morning of its launch, out of the 10,000 screenings scheduled in the country. The stock price of Bona Film Group, which had risen up to 10% at the announcement of the project, showed a drop at the opening of the stock market on October 26.Company cites past success for optimism
Jiang Defu, CEO of Bona Film Group, stated that the company did not invest in promotion for the film, hoping to replicate the success of a 13-episode AI-generated mini-series that had nearly 200 million views online. He acknowledged that the film may have some flaws and expressed confidence in doing better for the next project.
