Utopai Studios and Huace Unveil Fully AI-Generated “Journey to the West” Series

Utopai Studios and China’s Huace Group have announced a joint venture to produce *Journey to the West: The Lost Five Hundred Years*, a fully AI-generated animated series. The project will depict an “untold origin” of Sun Wukong, the imprisoned Monkey King, and his early protection of the monk Jin Chanzi. Huace will handle production using Utopai’s AI storytelling platform PAI, while Utopai will retain distribution rights for markets outside China. The partners envision the series as the first entry in a franchise spanning broadcast, streaming, and theatrical releases.

Variety Magazine

*Journey to the West* is a 1592 Chinese mythological novel regarded as a cultural treasure and a globally recognized mythic universe. Utopai’s PAI platform, recently upgraded to version 2.0, claims to preserve narrative context, maintain consistency across extended sequences, and give creators granular control over the creative process. The announcement follows the rollout of PAI 2.0, which Utopai’s chief scientific officer described as a catalyst for a “Claude Code moment” in media generation.

Variety Magazine

• Utopai Studios – AI media company founded by CEO Cecilia Shen, who co-created the platform.

Variety Magazine

• Huace Group – Chinese production house led by CEO Binxing Fu, responsible for on-the-ground production.

Variety Magazine

• Zijian He – Chief Scientific Officer at Utopai, overseeing PAI’s technical development.

Variety Magazine

• Carmelo Anthony – NBA star and investor through his production company Creative 7, now a strategic partner of Utopai.

Variety Magazine

• James Harden – NBA star who produced an AI-generated animated short using PAI’s first edition in April.

Variety Magazine

Utopai’s leadership highlighted the cultural significance of the source material and the opportunity to reinterpret it with AI-driven scale and emotion. Huace’s CEO emphasized the partnership’s aim to preserve the story’s depth while delivering it in a fully AI-generated animated format. The chief scientific officer framed PAI 2.0 as a breakthrough tool that can maintain narrative continuity and give creators detailed control, positioning the platform as a catalyst for broader media innovation.

Variety Magazine

• “’Journey to the West’ is not only one of China’s most beloved cultural treasures — it is one of the great mythological universes in world entertainment,” — Cecilia Shen, CEO & Co-founder, Utopai Studios

Variety Magazine

• “With Huace, we have the opportunity to build a bold new interpretation of this story, beginning with the untold emotional origin of Sun Wukong and the companions who would one day change the course of the journey west.” — Cecilia Shen

Variety Magazine

• “’Journey to the West’ is a story Chinese audiences have lived with for generations, and it deserves to be reintroduced with scale, emotion and imagination,” — Binxing Fu, CEO, Huace Group

Variety Magazine

• “By partnering with Utopai Studios, we can bring this mythology into a fully AI-generated animated format while preserving the cultural depth, emotional power and sense of wonder that have made the story endure for hundreds of years.” — Binxing Fu

Variety Magazine

• “With PAI 2.0, our goal is to help catalyze a ‘Claude Code moment’ for media generation,” — Zijian He, Chief Scientific Officer, Utopai Studios

Variety Magazine

The collaboration merges a classic Chinese narrative with cutting-edge AI technology, potentially reshaping production pipelines for large-scale animated franchises. By retaining international distribution rights, Utopai aims to introduce the story to global audiences while leveraging AI to manage the extensive world-building required for multi-platform releases. The involvement of high-profile NBA investors signals cross-industry interest in AI-driven entertainment ventures.

Variety Magazine

The announcement does not disclose any attached directors, writers, or voice talent, leaving key creative roles unspecified. Additionally, production timelines, episode counts, and release dates remain unannounced, limiting insight into the project’s near-term schedule.

Variety Magazine

Utopai and Huace plan to develop the series further using PAI 2.0, with future statements expected to outline casting decisions, episode structures, and distribution rollout for markets outside China.

Variety Magazine