{
  "id": 1997975,
  "title": "AI startup produces fully AI-generated feature-length film",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/19/ai-startup-produces-fully-ai-generated-feature-length-film",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-19T19:02:54.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Semafor",
    "slug": "semafor",
    "url": "https://www.semafor.com/article/08/19/2026/ai-startup-produces-fully-ai-generated-feature-length-film"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Higgsfield AI, an AI startup, has produced a fully AI-generated feature-length film, marking a significant shift in the technology landscape. The 110-minute action-comedy, titled \"A$AP,\" had a budget of $2 million, with half of the funds allocated to AI tokens. The production took only four weeks to complete.\n\nThe company behind the film aims to democratize long-form video production and provide scalable AI workflows for creators. The movie follows a group of struggling East London rappers who, desperate to outshine another rising star, steal a boat for a music video. However, they discover the boat is filled with cash, leading them into conflict with rival crime cartels.\n\nWhile the film shows improvement over previous AI-generated content, such as the controversial 2023 clip of Will Smith eating spaghetti, it still exhibits an unrealistic over-polished appearance at times. The writing in \"A$AP\" is the film's strongest asset, with dialogue free of em-dashes. However, the AI-generated aspects are sometimes apparent, with characters' reactions sometimes appearing overly nonchalant.\n\nHiggsfield AI addressed the issue by incorporating a human screenwriter, adding a human touch to the AI-generated visuals. The film also highlights the importance of proper prompting in AI filmmaking, as poor prompting can lead to unrealistic portrayals, similar to bad acting.",
  "summary": "Higgsfield AI produced ‘The Cully Hill Boys’ with a $2 million budget, half of which went to AI tokens.",
  "key_points": [
    "Higgsfield AI creates fully AI-generated feature film, A$AP",
    "110-minute action-comedy produced in four weeks for $2 million",
    "Film blends AI visuals with human-written dialogue to enhance realism"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}