A thriller series that drew huge audiences in China in 2014 is returning to theaters about a decade later — this time as a film made entirely with artificial intelligence.
The movie, titled ‘Soul Ferry·Floating Life Dream’ (靈魂擺渡·浮生夢), is scheduled for release this summer, according to China News Network and other local outlets. It is co-produced by the online video platform iQiyi and Chuangxin Media.
‘Soul Ferry’ began as a web drama in 2014 and surpassed 5 billion cumulative views. Fans welcomed news of a film adaptation, but the project has also stirred controversy after being billed as a “100% AI-generated film.”
AI has been used in film and TV production before, but local media described this as effectively the first case of a well-known intellectual property being produced end-to-end with AI.
The original drama follows a young man who can see ghosts. Seemingly ordinary and barely noticed by others, Xia Dongqing (played by Liu Zhiyang) is born with the ability to see “souls from another world.” Struggling to make a living through part-time jobs, he takes work at the “Convenience Store No. 444,” a place where ghosts appear after midnight and a boundary linking different dimensions. A civil servant from the underworld, Zhao Li (Yu Yi), runs the store and calls himself a “guide for souls,” while Dongqing and the bold young woman Wang Xiaoya (Xiao Yin) encounter a series of strange cases.
The producers said AI was used from planning through completion, including modeling characters based on the original cast and editing music. They said deep-learning technology was used to reproduce subtle facial expressions and even muscle movement.
The trailer has intensified debate over whether AI can replace human actors. Some viewers called it a technical breakthrough for East Asian thrillers, while others criticized it, saying, “Even an actor’s soul is exploited by an algorithm.”
Online reaction has been sharply divided. Viewers said the AI performers’ emotional cues — frightened eyes, sly expressions and cutesy speech — looked more awkward than real acting. On China’s Baidu portal, the hashtag “Soul Ferry has no soul” rose among top trending searches. One film critic panned it, saying it was “like serving pre-made food at a Michelin restaurant.”
The trailer also drew attention for apparent technical flaws. Some scenes show what viewers described as an “uncanny valley” effect, including a hand that appears to have six fingers and hair that seems to pass through a doorframe.
Comments by Guo Jingyu, who oversaw the film’s production, added to the controversy. Critics pointed to his earlier remarks at a forum, where he criticized AI virtual humans and said, “AI cannot express a character’s soul,” calling his move to make a fully AI film contradictory.
The dispute reflects broader anxiety in the film industry as AI grows rapidly. Some worry that wider use of AI across production could shrink roles for actors and crew and force a restructuring of the industry.
According to Chinese market research firm Tonghuashun, AI short dramas can be produced for about one-tenth the cost of traditional dramas, and a three-person team can finish production in 48 hours. The AI-based short-drama market in China is projected to reach about 24 billion yuan this year, with works featuring AI virtual actors expected to account for about 40% of the total.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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