--- title: "The First AI-Generated Romcom Is Coming Out This Summer" description: "TV manufacturer TCL has announced the first-ever, AI-generated romantic comedy called \"Next Stop Paris\" — something that absolutely nobody asked for. As expected, the execution leaves plenty to be desired. The 60-second trailer, which the company posted on YouTube, is a Kafkaesque mess of distorted faces and garbled landscapes, setting up a predictable and generic […]" date: "2024-04-16" modified: "2024-04-16" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/first-ai-generated-romcom-summer" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" tags: - "generative ai" - "midjourney" - "movies" --- # The First AI-Generated Romcom Is Coming Out This Summer ![TV manufacturer TCL has announced the first-ever, AI-generated romantic comedy called "Next Stop Paris." Literally nobody asked for this.]() *\Image: TCLtv+\* Chinese TV manufacturer TCL has announced what appears to be the first-ever AI-generated romantic comedy, called "Next Stop Paris" — something that absolutely nobody asked for. As expected, the execution leaves plenty to be desired. The [60-second trailer](), which the company posted on YouTube, is a Kafkaesque mess of distorted faces and garbled landscapes, setting up a generic meet-cute between the feature's two face-morphing protagonists, who look dramatically different in almost every shot. As [*Kotaku* pointed out](), the AI couldn't even generate an accurate picture of a clock tower, helplessly garbling the Roman numerals on its face. "In life's journey, sometimes the heart moves too fast, or too slow," a narrator says over the trailer, raising even more questions about the movie's murky plot. "But if you time it just right, that's when love arrives." https://youtu.be/KhQnnISdDIU The trailer is such a mess that we can't help but wonder if TCL was weeks late to April Fools' Day. What kind of human would even want to watch such a movie? Is this supposed to be some kind of joke? In [*Tom's Hardware*'s analysis](), it's likely more of a marketing stunt than a serious release. It's also not full-length; the company says it's eyeing an ever-so-slightly less excruciating length of a TV episode. "It is a first for a trailer and for an entertainment company," TCL Chief Content Officer Chris Regina told *Tom's Hardware*. "There is tremendous curiosity around AI," he boasted. "It's a marketing differentiator." According to Regina, TCL used a text-to-video generator called Runway ML and popular image generator Midjourney to produce the trailer. As to the shapeshifting protagonists, Regina assured *Tom's Hardware* that his team was already working on "character consistency." It wasn't entirely produced by AI. The script was allegedly written by a person, the voices were from real voice actors, and the music was actually performed by a human band, per *Tom's Hardware*. "We’ve brought together a best-in-class global workforce who value the collaboration for more unique perspectives and diversity in the development space," chief creative officer Daniel Smith [told *Broadcasting+Cable*](). But if the trailer is any indication, that workforce could've been put to much better use by working on an actual movie produced by humans. Even the company's press release seems like a garbled word soup, likely dreamed up by a chatbot. "The AI technology used to create these characters and fictional world allows the creative teams to push boundaries and invigorate the viewer experience, while also creating new opportunities for marketing partners," it reads. We also have some serious doubts about whether "Next Stop Paris" will ever even get made — or whether it'll die in the form of a boisterous press release that shamelessly cashes in on unfiltered AI hype. Per the trailer, though, the movie will drop this "summer." "The work is never finished until delivered, much like all film and TV production," Regina told *Tom's Hardware*. **More on generative AI:** *[Netflix Uses Seemingly AI-Manipulated Images in True Crime Doc]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()