June 9, 2026
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First Anim Feature Made with AI
by Karl F. Cohen
One of the critters starring in the new AI 'Critterz' which will debut in Cannes in May 2026. photo courtesy: N. Kleverov PLEASE support our GoFundMe campaign to cover research expenses for our articles and rebuilding the cineSOURCE site.
THE WORLD'S 'FIRST MAINSTREAM
commercial family feature film created with AI” is in production!
“Critterz” is an animated feature written by the “Paddington in Peru” (2024) duo James Lamont and Jon Foster, and Tom Butterworth (“Birthday Girl”, “The Last Legion”, “Ashes to Ashes”) and produced by StudioCanal, Sony Pictures, Columbia Pictures, AGC and Stage 6 Films. It will launch sales and screen “first-look” footage at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, which is taking place from May 12th to 23th.
“Artificial intelligence is being integrated throughout the production pipeline,” according to AGC in Variety (May 4, 2026). The script is directed and produced by Nik Kleverov, co-founder of Native Foreign, with Chad Nelson, a creative strategist at Musk’s OpenAI in SF, serving as a producer, along with Allan Niblo and James Richardson from Vertigo Films (part of Federation Studios). Pascal Breton, Lionel Uzan, Jane Moore, Stuart Ford and Aghi Koh are executive producers.
The feature is a full-length adaptation of the 2023 viral short “Critterz” created by Nelson, which was the first to use OpenAI’s cutting-edge creative tools. It follows an anxious but brave little woodland creature who unites with a group of eccentric outcasts—each with their own peculiar quirks and hidden strengths—on a high-stakes quest to find her long-lost brother.
“’Critterz’ will be a timeless film—a world that feels truly its own,” Kleverov stated. “It will carry the wonder of the ‘80s fantasy movies I grew up on — the scrappy, adventurous spirit of ‘The Goonies’ and the mythic, emotional scope of ‘The NeverEnding Story’… combined with the scale of early ‘Star Wars’. It’s grounded in something deeply human: a fractured world finding its way back together. At the center is a character whose greatest power isn’t force — it’s believing in herself, and her family.”
Executive producer Stuart Ford added: “We are thrilled to join Vertigo and Native Foreign in bringing the much-anticipated ‘Critterz’ to the industry. This ground-breaking feature demonstrates for the first time how AI can integrate into production without replacing artistry, becoming a tool for exploration rather than substitution. Filmmakers shape the story, characters and emotions, and AI provides the brushstrokes that we believe can bring a new franchise to life for families around the world.” Ford made his name as a top international buyer for Miramax Films in its heyday and then went on to launch IM Global.
“We’re delighted to be partnering with AGC to show the world how great artists and storytellers can utilize this incredible technology to do the only thing that really matters – make a great movie,” James Richardson added. “’Critterz’ is a beautiful, heartwarming and thrilling tale and Nik, Chad, the writers and the creative team have created something truly unique with the scale and ambition to wow, warm the hearts and put smiles on the faces of family audiences worldwide.”
I suspect “Critterz” may not be successful, but better to wait and see. I haven't seen any work that suggests OpenAI has advanced far enough in animation to create a successful feature, beautifully animated enough to compete with products from the major studios, although it will happen eventually. Although that may herald the end of animation as we know it, CGI also threatened to kill “practical” animation, but it ended up costing more and requiring just as many techs, hence my refrain, “better to wait and see.”
Posted on May 16, 2026 - 09:55 PM
by Karl F. Cohen
One of the critters starring in the new AI 'Critterz' which will debut in Cannes in May 2026. photo courtesy: N. Kleverov THE WORLD'S 'FIRST MAINSTREAM
commercial family feature film created with AI” is in production!
“Critterz” is an animated feature written by the “Paddington in Peru” (2024) duo James Lamont and Jon Foster, and Tom Butterworth (“Birthday Girl”, “The Last Legion”, “Ashes to Ashes”) and produced by StudioCanal, Sony Pictures, Columbia Pictures, AGC and Stage 6 Films. It will launch sales and screen “first-look” footage at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, which is taking place from May 12th to 23th.
“Artificial intelligence is being integrated throughout the production pipeline,” according to AGC in Variety (May 4, 2026). The script is directed and produced by Nik Kleverov, co-founder of Native Foreign, with Chad Nelson, a creative strategist at Musk’s OpenAI in SF, serving as a producer, along with Allan Niblo and James Richardson from Vertigo Films (part of Federation Studios). Pascal Breton, Lionel Uzan, Jane Moore, Stuart Ford and Aghi Koh are executive producers.
The feature is a full-length adaptation of the 2023 viral short “Critterz” created by Nelson, which was the first to use OpenAI’s cutting-edge creative tools. It follows an anxious but brave little woodland creature who unites with a group of eccentric outcasts—each with their own peculiar quirks and hidden strengths—on a high-stakes quest to find her long-lost brother.
“’Critterz’ will be a timeless film—a world that feels truly its own,” Kleverov stated. “It will carry the wonder of the ‘80s fantasy movies I grew up on — the scrappy, adventurous spirit of ‘The Goonies’ and the mythic, emotional scope of ‘The NeverEnding Story’… combined with the scale of early ‘Star Wars’. It’s grounded in something deeply human: a fractured world finding its way back together. At the center is a character whose greatest power isn’t force — it’s believing in herself, and her family.”
Executive producer Stuart Ford added: “We are thrilled to join Vertigo and Native Foreign in bringing the much-anticipated ‘Critterz’ to the industry. This ground-breaking feature demonstrates for the first time how AI can integrate into production without replacing artistry, becoming a tool for exploration rather than substitution. Filmmakers shape the story, characters and emotions, and AI provides the brushstrokes that we believe can bring a new franchise to life for families around the world.” Ford made his name as a top international buyer for Miramax Films in its heyday and then went on to launch IM Global.
“We’re delighted to be partnering with AGC to show the world how great artists and storytellers can utilize this incredible technology to do the only thing that really matters – make a great movie,” James Richardson added. “’Critterz’ is a beautiful, heartwarming and thrilling tale and Nik, Chad, the writers and the creative team have created something truly unique with the scale and ambition to wow, warm the hearts and put smiles on the faces of family audiences worldwide.”
I suspect “Critterz” may not be successful, but better to wait and see. I haven't seen any work that suggests OpenAI has advanced far enough in animation to create a successful feature, beautifully animated enough to compete with products from the major studios, although it will happen eventually. Although that may herald the end of animation as we know it, CGI also threatened to kill “practical” animation, but it ended up costing more and requiring just as many techs, hence my refrain, “better to wait and see.”
Posted on May 16, 2026 - 09:55 PM
