The first AI theatre film in China, "Sanxingdui: The Future Past," has encountered a box office disaster, earning only 1.229 million yuan in four days despite a production cost of over 10 million yuan. With an attendance rate of just 0.2% and an average of 0.3 people per show, the film's performance is concerning. An editorial from The Shanghai Observer notes that the movie highlights numerous flaws in AI films, noting that while the static images of the bronze divine trees are stunning, the characters appear wooden and the dialogue heavily AI-inflected, with a chaotic and disorganized plot. This lackluster performance is expected to dampen the excitement surrounding AI in cinema and indicates that simply relying on AI concepts is no longer appealing to audiences.
The film's underwhelming success signals a potential cooling of enthusiasm for AI-driven content, as viewers seek more than just novelty. This trend underscores a growing need for AI technology to enhance rather than merely imitate human creativity. The failure of "Sanxingdui: The Future Past" may prompt producers to explore more sophisticated and engaging applications of AI in filmmaking, balancing technology with storytelling to satisfy a discerning audience.