OpenAI Backs AI-Made Animated Film "Critterz"

OpenAI is backing an AI-driven animated feature called Critterz, a production the company hopes will demonstrate generative AI’s ability to produce high-quality film work at a fraction of usual cost and time. According to The Verge’s reporting of the Wall Street Journal scoop, the film — made primarily with OpenAI’s tools (including GPT-5) — aims for a 2026 theatrical release after a planned Cannes debut. The Verge notes GPT-5 “landed with a thud last month,” and that OpenAI is partnering with LA- and London-based companies Native Foreign and Vertigo Films on the project.

Critterz is reportedly being produced on a budget under $30 million and completed in roughly nine months, far cheaper and faster than typical animated features. OpenAI and its partners are positioning the film as a proof point to persuade cautious Hollywood executives to adopt AI workflows. But the industry faces headwinds: slow uptake, resistance from talent and audiences, and ongoing concerns about intellectual property and creative agency — challenges Critterz will need to overcome if it’s to change minds about AI in filmmaking.

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