China's first AI movie, 'Sanxingdui,' failed to resonate with audiences due to cultural differences and expectations of cinematic quality.

China's first AI film, "Sanxingdui," failed to resonate with audiences. but not because Chinese people are anti-AI. #AI #AIAsia #Movies #China #Culture http://elizabethtai.com/2026/10/29/chinas-first-ai-movie-flops-but-probably-not-for-the-reasons-you-think/

China’s first AI movie flops … but probably not for the reasons you think China, always ahead of the curve, released its first AI movie, Sanxingdui. Unfortunately, it flopped. From Indiewire, A Flop at the Chinese Box Office Shows AI Still Has a Tough Road Ahead in Theaters But whether it’s in China or America, people go to the theaters expecting a certain level of cinematic quality above what they can get at home on their phones. We’ll see if the “Sanxingdui” experiment ends up translating to American audiences. Ahem, I’m not holding my breath for American audiences, I’m sorry lol. I’m always wary when media in the West picks up what’s happening in China and views it from their worldview. They often misinterpret what’s happening because they lack the nuanced cultural view of China. Does this movie flopping means that Chinese people hate AI movies/films? The answer is more complicated than that. Chinese folks are very, very open and positive to AI tech, even when used to generate art and movies. On XiaoHongShu (Red Note), I’m recommended AI shorts and clips from creators all day. The comments are often enthusiastic and very welcoming. I particularly enjoy AI shorts that bring ancient Chinese paintings to life. Recently, lots of users were generating little films of the Eight Immortals. This was probably sparked by the Eight Immortals-inspired animated movie, All Wishes Come True! I hardly (and I say this with utter confidence) see comments or posts screaming about the evils of AI on Chinese social media. However, Chinese audiences absolutely hate it when AI is used to deceive or fool them into believing something. For example, generating a cat video to evoke sympathy. They don’t like to be emotionally manipulated by AI film. But they totally love it when AI creates something beautiful. “Used well” means AI must produce good art. Chinese people are often more brutal on Chinese-produced films and dramas. On Douban, China’s version of IMDB, Chinese dramas and movies are often rated much lower than foreign dramas and movies. So, Chinese people are generally brutal when it comes to bad art, especially if produced domestically. Well, except Niu Lai, but lawd that’s a very unique case. That one’s more of a reaction and rebellion against the domestic market’s capitalistic-driven entertainment industry. In conclusion: they will only like AI art/shorts if it is good quality art, This movie probably fell short of what Chinese audiences deem “good”. I had a cursory look at Douban, and found that most of the critical reviews were not complaining that the producers are using AI, but that the film’s storytelling and production quality was terrible. Chinese audiences are also protective of actors. They are probably not going to be receptive to actors being replaced by AI people, especially if they are much-worshiped idol actors. From a Global Times article, The filmmaker revealed that the film cost over 10 million yuan ($1.5 million) to make, but whether it will recoup its investment is also a question the industry is watching closely. Online reactions to the film’s trailer have included skepticism about the value of AI-generated content, with some netizens questioning why they should buy cinema tickets for images that can seemingly be created at little cost. Note that netizens are more concerned about getting their money’s worth rather than the fact that AI was used to generate the movie. I’d say that the Chinese entertainment industry will learn very quickly that audiences who pay top dollar to watch movies in the cinema are not the same as those who watch AI shorts on their smartphones. The audiences are who watch verticals and shorts are the ones that are more receptive to AI shorts. But I’m also sensing audience fatigue. Despite the “minimal costs”, many AI shorts are failing to make money. Audiences are especially incensed that AI films are using the faces of actors without authorisation and the government is cracking down. (China’s fandoms are a scary lot, and if their idols are messed with in any way, the reaction can be frightening.) So, don’t use Sanxingdu‘s failurei as a way to “prove” that folks in China hates AI or anything generated by AI. As always, the answer is: “It depends” #AI #China