AI zombie video on Singapore’s National Day sparks talk – is this the future of film?

Singapore's National Day saw the premiere of Bersama Majulah, a four-minute AI-assisted short film that has sparked regional conversations about the future of filmmaking.

As a spin-off from the Spore Fall franchise—Southeast Asia's "first human-written, AI-realised transmedia series"—the project depicts a spore pathogenic outbreak in the fictional city of Lionara, drawing clear visual inspiration from Singapore's skyline.

Creator and showrunner Joel Boh emphasized that while AI handles execution-layer tasks like environments and visual effects, the "soul of the work"—story arcs and character motivations—remains entirely human-written.

The film is helmed by Golden Horse Award-winning producer Chan Gin Kai and features an original theme song by local musician Dharma Sadasivan aka TENZR.

While online debate continues, the early data suggests audiences are engaging deeply: 85 to 93 percent retention on YouTube and average engagement of 2 minutes on Sporefall.com, outperforming typical industry metrics.

"The data suggests something deeper. Audiences are hungry for connection, but they can't quite get past the fact that the content is AI-generated. They feel strongly enough to finish engaging, only to push back on the medium. It's an interesting data point—and one we're paying close attention to. It tells us that the emotional truth of the story is resonating, even if the medium is still a barrier for some." — Joel Boh, Creator/ Showrunner

The film has already generated considerable online debate, which the studio views as "a healthy sign of cultural impact."

He framed the project as a model for empowering independent creators across Asia, allowing them to compete globally without traditional Hollywood budgets.

A feature film is slated for theatrical release in 2028, with novels, games, and Web3 collectibles to follow.

Read the full article on South China Morning Post.