AI drama The Ferry Man hits major money milestone as third film arrives

AI-generated entertainment is often judged by views and viral clips, but one continuing drama is now putting a sizeable revenue figure behind the technology.

iQIYI says its AIGC film series The Ferry Man passed RMB 8 million, around $1.2 million, in cumulative revenue sharing by 23 September. The milestone comes as its third instalment, The Ferry Man: The Dream of the Princess, begins streaming.

The first films have already made their money back

The first two instalments, Butterfly Dream and The Dream of the Celestial Maiden, launched simultaneously on 22 August and recovered their production costs within a week, according to figures released by iQIYI.

The series is produced with GHY Culture & Media, which shares revenue with iQIYI based on viewership. AI has been used across elements including concept design, sets, props and reusable digital assets, while the three lead performers licensed their likenesses and provided their own voices.

That distinction matters. The Ferry Man isn't simply replacing its entire cast with anonymous synthetic performers, but combining licensed performances with AI-generated production elements.

The third film continues the fantasy story with a tale involving a royal guard, a princess and a 200-year-old love story. It runs for around 73 minutes and is classified by iQIYI as an AIGC movie.

For the wider AI entertainment industry, however, the money may be the more significant story. Plenty of AI projects can attract curiosity, but The Ferry Man is now providing evidence that viewers can also translate into commercial returns.

The Ferry Man: The Dream of the Princess is streaming now on iQIYI and iQIYI International.

Images: iQIYI.