Malaysia’s Future Studios and Singapore’s FizzDragon recently made a big announcement on Apr 24, revealing their Chinese-language movie Pirate Queen: Zheng Yi Sao. They claim this to be the world’s first artificial intelligence (AI)-generated feature film. The movie’s visuals were all done using AI-generated content (AIGC), thanks to technologies like machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing.
The production team, consisting of local talents and international collaborators from 12 countries, also utilized AI tools for various aspects of the film, such as scene generation, script editing, animation, and post-production. Pirate Queen: Zheng Yi Sao recounts the true story of Zheng Yi Sao, also known as Ching Shih, who hailed from a fisherman’s family and was pushed into prostitution.
After the passing of her husband and pirate chief Zheng Yi, she took over his Red Flag Fleet and emerged as one of history’s most triumphant female pirates. During the official launch of the film at TGV KLCC in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Apr 24, Professor Yoki Chin, president of Future Studios and the movie’s executive producer, emphasized how the film showcases the potential of a movie with entirely AI-generated visuals.
“It’s the start of a new era in filmmaking where AI serves as a tool for cultural storytelling, innovation, and diverse narratives,” Chin expressed. “Our upcoming projects, whether incorporating AI partially or fully like this one, are bound to keep improving.” He further stated, “AI isn’t here to take our place, but rather to provide more options for creative expression.”
Following a preview of the film, Chin announced that Pirate Queen: Zheng Yi Sao is scheduled to hit cinemas in June or July this year.
