OpenAI Targets Hollywood with AI-Animated Film ‘Critterz’

OpenAI, the tech startup known for ChatGPT and other AI tools, is setting its sights on Hollywood. The company plans to turn 'Critterz,' a short animated film created with AI tools, into a full-length animated feature. According to The Wall Street Journal, the project will have a budget of up to $30 million and aims for completion in nine months, targeting a premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2026.

This ambitious project seeks to demonstrate that OpenAI's generative AI tools can produce films faster and more cost-effectively than traditional methods. The WSJ notes that an animated movie typically takes about three years to complete, but OpenAI aims to finish it in less than a year. The announced budget is also lower than what a studio would typically spend on an animated project without AI.

'Critterz' might stir controversy in Hollywood and beyond. Film guilds and unions may be concerned about AI replacing jobs. However, the report states that OpenAI will cast real actors for character voices and hire artists to create sketches for AI models, including GPT-5 and other generative AI tools. The film's script is penned by writers from 'Paddington in Peru.'

For audiences, 'Critterz' will be a test of whether moviegoers are willing to purchase tickets for a film made entirely with AI. The report mentions that OpenAI aims for a global theatrical release next year, following its debut at Cannes. However, no specific distribution plans have been made at the time of writing.

Fans of ChatGPT and OpenAI might recall the short 'Critterz' animations made with tools like Dall-E and Sora. The video above shows a comparison between the two OpenAI products used to animate the film. Based on an idea from Chad Nelson, now a creative specialist at OpenAI, about 30 people will work on the AI-animated movie, with London-based Vertigo Films and Native Foreign in Los Angeles producing.

'Critterz' tells the story of peculiar forest creatures whose village is disturbed by a stranger. In the short film, that stranger is Dennis, Sir David Attenborough's neighbor, filming a documentary about the critters. The creatures, not thrilled about being part of the documentary, propose the name 'Critterz' for merchandising purposes.

This premise highlights the image and video generation capabilities of products like Dall-E and Sora, focusing on character and scene consistency. While the original short film used 2023's Dall-E image generator and last year's Sora video generation model, the 'Critterz' animated movie will likely utilize newer AI innovations.