OpenAI makes a splash at Cannes: AI film + lights, camera, algorithm
Next year’s lineup may include an unusual film made primarily using artificial intelligence (AI) at the same festival halls where filmmaking icons like David Lynch, Scorsese, and Fellini have debuted their works. OpenAI is supporting a feature-length animated film, largely produced with its own generative tools, to demonstrate that blockbusters can be made more quickly and affordably than traditional studio productions. The film, ‘Critterz’, tells the story of forest creatures who embark on an adventure following the disruption of their village by a stranger, the report added.
Chad Nelson, a creative specialist at OpenAI, conceived the idea and began sketching characters three years ago using the company’s DALL-E tool. In 2023, Nelson created a short film titled with the same name, utilizing DALL-E. “OpenAI can say what its tools do all day long, but it’s much more impactful if someone does it,” Nelson told. Vertigo Films from London and Native Foreign based in Los Angeles are collaborating on a co-production, with plans to premiere the film at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2026. James Richardson, co-founder of Vertigo, stated that the team intends to finish the film in a mere nine months, a timeline that is notably quicker than that of well-known animated features.
Furthermore, the film’s budget is below $30 million. To provide context, the budget allocated for Pixar’s Inside Out 2 was $200 million. The creators intend to employ actors for voicing the characters and artists for sketching designs, which will subsequently be input into OpenAI’s image-generation tools. The report further noted that the script was crafted with contributions from the team responsible for Paddington in Peru, and Federation Studios, the Paris-based parent of Vertigo, is financing the project. The AI film emerges during a period when various sectors, including cinema, are embracing technology to enhance efficiency. Yet the discussion surrounding AI replicating artists’ work to generate content persists. In 2023, actors and writers halted Hollywood, insisting on safeguards against the technology. Since that time, numerous filmmakers have incorporated AI into their films to assist with accents, visuals, and more.
As reported the Oscar-nominated film ‘The Brutalist’, which earned Adrian Brody his second Academy Award for Best Actor, utilized AI to refine his accent while speaking Hungarian in the film. Entertainment giants such as Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros have recently taken legal action against AI companies like Midjourney for alleged unauthorized use of their properties.
