Draft:Critterz
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| Critterz | |
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| Directed by | Nik Kleverov |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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Production companies |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Critterz is an upcoming American computer-animated adventure film directed by Nik Kleverov and written by James Lamont, Jon Foster, and Tom Butterworth, and produced by Vertigo Films and Native Foreign.[1]
Production
[edit]Development
[edit]The project originated as a short film of the same name created in 2023 by OpenAI creative specialist Chad Nelson, a former game developer, and a small team using the company's image generator DALL-E.[2] The short depicted woodland creatures whose lives are disrupted by a human visitor and has been described as the first AI film to combine visuals generated by DALL-E with traditional animation techniques. It screened at several festivals, including Annecy, Tribeca, and Cannes Lions, and was nominated for a Producers Guild of America Innovation Award.[3] Following its release, the short drew the attention of OpenAI leadership and was developed into a feature-length adaptation. Production on the feature began in 2025, with OpenAI employing its own artificial intelligence technologies, including GPT-5 for script development and DALL-E for concept art and design,[2] alongside human actors for character voices and artists to create sketches.[4] In early 2025, Native Foreign released Critterz: Remastered, created with OpenAI's Sora, showcasing advancements in the technology since the original short two years earlier.[3]
Critterz is being produced by London-based Vertigo Films and Los Angeles creative agency Native Foreign, which specializes in AI storytelling.[5] The screenplay is being developed in part by James Lamont and Jon Foster, writers of Paddington in Peru. Production was scheduled to take place over nine months.[2] The film has a reported budget of under US$30 million, significantly lower than the typical cost of animated feature films.[4] According to an OpenAI spokesperson, the company is providing technology for Critterz but not direct financial support. Producer Sergey Kleverov stated that the project is being developed by a team of only a few dozen people, in contrast to the hundreds typically employed on animated films.[5] The film is reportedly being produced under a financial model that grants participating artists a stake in the project’s backend revenue.[1]
OpenAI has stated that much of the design and rendering will be managed through its internal technology stack, which includes AI tools for scripting, visual development, and production management. This timeline and budget contrast with the two-to-four-year schedules and significantly higher costs typical of major Hollywood animation studios.[2] In May 2026, AGC Studios boarded the film, and will screen first-look footage at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.[6]
Reception
[edit]In September 2025, a coalition of several French filmmaking organizations released a letter criticizing the project, expressing concern over the use of artificial intelligence in animation and citing the company's alleged disregard for copyright protections. Signatories included the Society of Authors, Directors and Producers (L'ARP), the Society of Film Directors (SRF), the Society of Screenwriters (SCA), the Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers (SACD), the Guild of French Screenwriters (La Guilde), the Directors Union (U2R), and the Creators Group of French Animation (AGrAF).[7]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Calnan, Ellie (September 8, 2025). "AI-integrated animation 'Critterz' in production for UK's Vertigo Films". Screen Daily. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 Barmack, Erik (September 23, 2025). "OpenAI's $30M Animated Film is Coming. Pixar Should Be Worried". The Ankler. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
- 1 2 Ritman, Alex (March 6, 2025). "'Paddington in Peru' Writers Reunite for AI Animated Feature 'Critterz' From Vertigo Films, Native Foreign (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
- 1 2 Toonkel, Jessica (September 8, 2025). "Exclusive | OpenAI Backs AI-Made Animated Feature Film". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
- 1 2 "An AI-animated film will debut next year. Is this AI's 'Toy Story' moment?". Los Angeles Times. September 9, 2025. Retrieved September 29, 2025.
- ↑ Barraclough, Leo (May 4, 2026). "AI Assisted Animated Film 'Critterz,' From the Writers of 'Paddington in Peru,' Boarded by AGC". Variety. Retrieved May 4, 2026.
- ↑ "French Filmmaker Orgs Pen Open Letter Protesting OpenAI Animation". Animation Magazine. September 24, 2025. Retrieved September 29, 2025.