Critterz, an OpenAI-backed animated feature billed as the first mainstream film built on a generative AI pipeline, missed its planned Cannes in-festival premiere. A key reason is that OpenAI shut down Sora in March — the video model central to the film's production pipeline — leaving the project without its core tooling mid-production. The web and app experience went dark on April 26, with the API set to follow in September. The film did appear at the Cannes market with first-look footage for buyers, but the in-festival debut that would have validated the 'AI-made movie' pitch did not happen. OpenAI has reportedly pivoted its video research toward world-simulation for robotics. Critterz producers have not disclosed what tooling replaced Sora, and Cannes 2027 is now the likely next window — though by then multiple other contenders may claim the 'first AI feature' title.
