Viral Chinese AI Animated Short Wins Hollywood Acclaim

A Chinese AI-produced animated short film, Zombie Scavenger, has exploded across the Internet, racking up over 70 million views on Douyin alone and drawing public praise from a top Hollywood producer, who is now on a global search for its creator.

The film, hailed by netizens as "China's Love, Death & Robots," follows a robot cowboy with an LED-screen head. By day, he cleans up zombie battlefields; by night, he falls into an absurdist, black-humored romance with a mannequin. The piece blends Wild West grit, post-apocalyptic melancholy and darkly comic tenderness.

Its reach has been staggering: over 70 million views and 3 million likes on Douyin, with overseas fans calling it "the most creative zombie film ever" and "the future of cinema."

The buzz caught the attention of renowned Hollywood producer PJ Ace, who posted publicly: "This is one of the best short films I've seen in years." He then launched an open search for the filmmaker, hoping to work together.

Caption: Hollywood producer PJ Ace recommended the short film in a post on X.

Caption: Liu Ziyu produces the entire short alone in just 10 days, using a domestic AI tool, with a total budget of 3,000 yuan (US$440).

That filmmaker is Liu Ziyu (MX-Shell), a 26-year-old from Yunnan Province with a technical school diploma. A self-taught jack-of-all-trades – photography, music, directing, writing, art – Liu produced the entire short alone in just 10 days, using a domestic AI tool, with a total budget of merely around 3,000 yuan (US$440).

On May 15, Liu confirmed he has been in touch with Ace's team and has shared his portfolio. "I'm not keen on moving overseas," Liu said, "but an online collaboration is something I'd consider."

The sweeping popularity of Zombie Scavenger has sparked a series of industrial layout moves. On the commercial side, domestic entertainment firm Qingqiu Culture has secured the exclusive permanent global film and television copyright of the work, planning to adapt the short film into a full-length theatrical feature. Besides, it has also teamed up with AI interactive video game platform Yoroll to develop an official game adaptation, a piece of news officially verified by Liu himself on May 17.