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3d ago

OpenAI Backs 'Critterz,' AI-Assisted Animated Feature Targeting Cannes 2026

The project pairs OpenAI tools such as Sora with producers Vertigo Films and Native Foreign to test faster, lower-cost animation.

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Image: YouTube/OpenAI
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Overview

  • OpenAI will provide generative tools and computing resources, including Sora for text-to-video scene visualization, with Vertigo Films and Native Foreign leading production.
  • The team set a nine-month production schedule and a budget under $30 million, far below typical timelines and costs for animated features.
  • The filmmakers aim to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2026, with a worldwide theatrical release expected later in 2026.
  • The workflow keeps humans in creative roles, featuring a script by writers from Paddington in Peru and plans to hire voice actors and artists whose sketches guide the AI tools.
  • The announcement intensifies industry scrutiny over jobs and intellectual property, framed by SAG-AFTRA’s 2023 AI consent rules and ongoing lawsuits against AI firms.