OpenAI aims to prove that generative artificial intelligence can make movies faster and cheaper than Hollywood does. The company is providing its tools and computing resources to produce the feature-length animated film Critterz, which is slated for worldwide release next year. This is reported by The Wall Street Journal.
The plot of Critterz focuses on the story of forest creatures whose lives change after the appearance of a stranger. The idea belongs to OpenAI creative specialist Chad Nelson, who started character development back in 2021, using the DALL-E tool for experiments. London-based Vertigo Films and Los Angeles-based Native Foreign are working on the production, with parent company Federation Studios financing.
The budget of the cartoon is less than 30 million dollars, which is several times cheaper than the traditional production of similar pictures. The team plans to complete the project in nine months instead of the usual three years. The characters will be voiced by actors, and the artists’ sketches will be processed using OpenAI tools, including GPT-5.
While Hollywood is only cautiously introducing artificial intelligence into its processes, major studios like Netflix and Disney are experimenting with the new technology but facing criticism from actors’ and writers’ unions, who fear job losses. An additional challenge remains lawsuits against AI companies due to possible copyright violations.
If Critterz is successful at the box office, it could lead to a faster integration of artificial intelligence into the film industry and lower barriers for independent creators.
