Bona Film Group’s Sanxingdui: Future Past recorded a weak opening in China, with ticketing platform Maoyan Pro estimating box-office revenue of more than RMB1.2 million by 3:30 p.m. on October 26. The science-fiction film opened on October 23, 2026.
The early takings were well below the production budget of more than RMB10 million ($1.5 million) claimed by Bona. The company says nearly 100 people worked on the feature for more than two years.
Bona describes the production as China’s first fully AI-generated theatrical feature, with AI-generated characters, voices and backdrops. Bona says human filmmakers oversaw the creative decisions throughout production.
The story follows humanity confronting a crisis after handing decisions to algorithms, with clues to a solution linked to the ancient Sanxingdui civilization.
Maoyan said more than 10,000 screenings were scheduled nationwide for the film’s opening day. Bona CEO Jiang Defu acknowledged the lukewarm reception while defending the project as an early effort to bring AI-generated films to theaters and test them with audiences.
Niu Lai’s longer box-office run
The opening followed the August 5 release of Niu Lai, an animated feature made by director Xin Yumeng and his mother, screenwriter Sun Lifang.
Maoyan figures put Niu Lai’s earnings at roughly RMB7,700 by the afternoon of August 14, its tenth day in cinemas. By September 15, the platform put its cumulative revenue at more than RMB63 million.
Clips and online discussion of the film’s animation circulated as ticket sales increased. Reactions included mockery and curiosity alongside support for its filmmakers.
The figures cover different periods: several days for Sanxingdui and more than a month for Niu Lai. Sanxingdui’s opening revenue is not a final total, limiting direct comparisons of their commercial performance.