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Bona Film Wins Approval for China’s First AI Movie in Theaters

Published: Apr. 28, 2026 12:59 a.m. GMT+8

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Regulators cleared Bona Film’s Sanxingdui: Future Memories

Bona Film Group Co. Ltd. has received regulatory approval to release an artificial-intelligence-generated animated feature in Chinese cinemas, marking the country’s first theatrical debut for an AI-made movie.

The National Film Administration granted a public-screening license to the 90-minute sci-fi film Sanxingdui: Future Memories, the studio said Monday. The project, made with AI video tools from ByteDance Ltd., is officially classified as an animated feature because regulators have yet to create a separate censorship category for AI-generated content.

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Explore the story in 30 seconds

Bona Film Group's 90-minute AI-generated sci-fi animated "Sanxingdui: Future Memories" approved for Chinese cinemas, first such theatrical release.
Made with ByteDance's Jimeng AI tools under human creative direction; actors' expressions AI-synthesized, classified as animated.
China pushes AI commercialization amid Western opposition; domestic frictions over jobs, copyrights grow.

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Who’s Who

Bona Film Group Co. Ltd.: Bona Film Group Co. Ltd. received regulatory approval for China's first theatrical AI-generated animated feature, the 90-minute sci-fi film *Sanxingdui: Future Memories*. Co-developed with ByteDance's Jimeng AI, it emphasizes human creative direction, using AI for efficiency; characters feature human actors' expressions synthesized by AI.

ByteDance Ltd.: ByteDance Ltd. provided AI video tools for the film *Sanxingdui: Future Memories* and owns Jimeng AI, which co-developed the project with Bona Film Group. (32 words)

iQiyi: iQiyi, a streaming giant, sparked controversy by announcing an AI portrait database, with prominent actors denying authorization for using their likenesses. This fueled concerns over copyright infringement and job displacement for voice actors and extras in China's film industry.

IMAX Corp.: IMAX Corp. has held limited showcases of AI-generated short films, though broad commercial releases of AI films remain untested amid industry resistance.

AI generated, for reference only