A new animated film created almost entirely with artificial intelligence is gearing up for a potential debut at the Cannes Film Festival next year, and it’s called Critterz.
The film was developed by Chad NelsonOpenAI’s creative specialist, and will be powered by tools such as OpenAI’s image generators and GPT-5. According to the Wall Street Journal, Critterz is scheduled for global theatrical release in 2026 and will be “made largely with artificial intelligence.”
The story follows a group of forest creatures who embark on an adventure after a mysterious outsider disrupts their peaceful village. It began as a short film in 2023, co-created by Nelson and Nik Kleverov, co-founder of Native Foreign. That short film is already available online if you’re curious to see the original vision.
Even though AI will do the heavy lifting, there will still be a solid human touch. Traditional artists will provide hand-drawn sketches that will be fed into AI tools, and human voice actors will bring the characters to life.
The project is also receiving writing support from the talent who worked on Paddington 3, although it hasn’t been revealed exactly who from that team is involved.
The production is backed by Vertigo Films and Native Foreign, with Federation Studios (Vertigo’s parent company) funding the $30 million budget. The goal is to complete it within nine months.
As exciting as it may be for fans of emerging technology in entertainment, the growing role of artificial intelligence in cinema continues to be a lightning rod for controversy.
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos recently praised AI as “an incredible opportunity,” but big studios like Disney and Universal have taken a much tougher stance. In a lawsuit against AI company Midjourney, they called it a “bottomless pit of plagiarism.”
Artificial intelligence was also a central issue in the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, highlighting how divided the industry is over this evolving technology.
If Critterz ends up being a groundbreaking achievement or another tipping point in the AI debate, it’s definitely a project worth keeping an eye on.
by Joey Paur
Source: Geek Tyrant
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
