A fully AI-generated feature film is set to get a theatrical release and has already been rated R, making it the first AI film to be blessed by an official MPA rating. And the studio behind the movie, titled “Gods Don’t Give Gifts,” is even gearing up for an awards push.
But whether it looks any better than all the slop that AI art has become known for is up for debate.
The film’s creator, the popular YouTuber known as Gossip Goblin, dropped a two minute trailer on Wednesday, giving us a good look at its sci-fi visuals, but filling us in on virtually none of the story. According to an official logline, it’s actually an anthology of four different stories — which feels like “feature” film stolen valor — on a planet “where bodies are disposable and consciousness has been commoditized.”
Credit where credit’s due: the trailer is a compelling enough collection of photorealistic sci-fi concept art, but it trades in the same old cliches and familiar images that the tech loves to portray, and the stunted creatives that use it love to indulge in. Some monstrous looking alien literally screams the name of the movie. Calling it outright slop might be harsh, but the preview is serving up empty calories.
Nonetheless, the AI studio Fable, which produced the film, has big things in mind for “Gods Don’t Give Gifts.” Per Variety‘s coverage, it’s giving the film a limited US theatrical run and has pushed back the original October 30 release date to December 4 so it can be closer to the Oscar campaign season. Indeed, Fable plans to submit the movie in the best animated feature category at the upcoming Academy Awards.
Going for gold is just the start of its ambitions. According to Fable CEO Edward Saatchi, the movie will transform how animated films are made.
“For five years, the question has been when will an AI film win an Oscar? Gods Don’t Give Gifts is the first that has a shot at a nomination and then it’s all to play for,” Saatchi said in a statement, per Variety. “We feel it could be this generation’s Toy Story — the fact that this generation’s Toy Story is a dark, satirical, bold statement on all 2026’s fears about AI and our species’ future is an appropriate commentary on the questions we are all confronting as a society.”
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The post The First Fully AI-Generated Movie to Receive an MPA Rating Is Making a Push for an Academy Award, But We Wouldn’t Hold Our Breath appeared first on Futurism.
