Beijing – October 02, 2026 -- iQIYI's AIGC film series "The Ferry Man" has generated cumulative revenue-sharing earnings exceeding RMB 8 million (US$1.2 million) as of September 23, validating artificial intelligence as a financially viable film production model. The milestone arrives as the third installment, "The Ferry Man: The Dream of the Princess", debuts October 1 on iQIYI and iQIYI International.
Production costs recovered within first week of release
The series, produced jointly by iQIYI and GHY Culture & Media, recovered its full production costs within seven days of launch and crossed the RMB 8 million revenue-sharing threshold within its first month, according to the company. The first two titles, "Butterfly Dream" and "The Dream of the Celestial Maiden", released simultaneously on August 22.
AI compresses production timeline to under four months
Producer Zhichao Li said the first two films moved from project initiation to launch in under four months, with AI improving efficiency specifically during preparation and production stages while script development and post-production followed conventional workflows. AIGC tools generated visual assets for concept design, sets, and props that were converted directly into video based on director specifications, reducing reliance on physical shoots and scene transitions.
For one key scene in "The Dream of the Celestial Maiden", AI generation replaced a process that would traditionally require months of visual effects and green-screen work, according to the production team.
Reusable digital assets cut costs for sequel production
The three lead actors licensed their likenesses and provided voiceovers, allowing iQIYI to build standardized digital character assets, scenes, and props that carry over into subsequent films. This asset library lets the upcoming third installment maintain visual consistency while lowering production costs, creating what the company describes as a scalable model for serialized content.
The series builds on iQIYI's earlier AIGC work, including "Mystic Tales - The Spider Lady's Vendetta", which the company states was China's first AIGC internet feature film released under an Internet Drama and Film Distribution License.