An animated feature film that uses artificial intelligence tools from OpenAI is expected to debut next year, likely fueling the debate in Hollywood about the role of the technology in filmmaking.
“Critterz” is based on the 2023 AI-animated short of the same name that satirized nature documentaries. In the film, the fantastical woodland creatures rebel against their passive on-screen depictions. The film is a partnership between Britain-based Vertigo Films and Culver City creative agency and production company Native Foreign, which specializes in AI storytelling.
“There’s been a lot of dabbling, but this shows a commitment from a large AI tool provider that this is possible,” said Nik Kleverov, chief creative officer of Native Foreign, who was executive producer of the “Critterz” short. “By saying that we are embarking on this, I think it can hopefully open the door for more AI projects to also come out, and we can hopefully see a wave of new great storytelling.”
Computer animation’s watershed moment for feature films happened just 30 years ago with the debut of Pixar’s “Toy Story.” After its success, computer animation became an accepted and integral part of family films.
The news was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
OpenAI is only providing technology, not financial support for the film, a company spokesperson said. Writers from StudioCanal’s “Paddington in Peru” are also on board. Only a couple dozen people are working on “Critterz” with a budget of less than $30 million, Kleverov said. Hundreds of people are typically involved with an animated film, and budgets can be as high as $150 million to $200 million if it’s primarily produced in the U.S.
Some of the people working on the film have never worked on AI projects before, he said. One person even worked on the original “Space Jam” movie with Michael Jordan in 1996. Though human animators will draw out the characters to certain specifications, OpenAI’s tools will be used to interpret those as storyboards and frames. The film is expected to debut in May after nine months of production.
A collage of art in the AI-animated film “Critterz.”
(Nik Kleverov/Native Foreign)
The aim, Kleverov said, was to create a “really great film.”
“The last thing I want them to think about is AI,” he said of audiences watching “Critterz.” “I know the AI will always be a topic, but I think we’re going to see a revolution of independent cinema because you’re going to be able to tell so many more stories.”
The news comes as Hollywood is locked in a fierce debate about the extent of AI use. Use of the technology was a major issue during the 2023 dual writers’ and actors’ strikes, and recently, major studios Warner Bros. Discovery, Walt Disney Co. and Comcast’s Universal Pictures filed copyright infringement lawsuits against AI company Midjourney Inc.
