AGC Studios Brings AI-Animated Family Film Critterz to Cannes Market

Stuart Ford‘s AGC Studios is launching world sales ahead of the Cannes market on Critterz, the AI-produced family animation that has been generating industry buzz since its original short went viral in 2023. Now it’s a full feature, it has a heavyweight creative team, and it is heading straight into the lion’s den.

The project is described as “human-led but AI-assisted” and is being positioned as one of the first mainstream commercial family movies to use AI throughout its entire production pipeline. Of course, that framing will either excite you or make you want to close the tab. Both reactions are valid.

Critterz

The story follows a nervous but courageous woodland creature who bands together with a ragtag group of outsiders on a mission to find her missing brother. The feature is a full-length adaptation of the 2023 viral short of the same name, one of the first films to use OpenAI’s creative tools, originally created by Chad Nelson, creative strategist at OpenAI, who is also producing the feature.

Directing and producing is Nik Kleverov, co-founder of AI outfit Native Foreign. The screenplay comes from James Lamont and Jon Foster (Paddington in Peru, The Amazing World of Gumball) alongside Tom Butterworth (Birthday Girl, Ashes to Ashes). That is not a throwaway writing team. Somebody made real choices here.

UK production and distribution company Vertigo Films, Allan Niblo and James Richardson, are also producing, with Pascal Breton, Lionel Uzan, Jane Moore, Stuart Ford, and Aghi Koh serving as executive producers.

The budget sits at under $30 million and was completed on a nine-month production timeline, a fraction of the typical $100–200 million cost and three-year development cycle for major animated features. Alas, the traditional animation industry is probably not thrilled to hear that.

The voice cast has not yet been set, though we understand it will be entirely human. So the woodland creatures will at least sound like people.

AGC International will screen first-look footage for buyers at the Cannes Film Market. According to Deadline, Ford said the film “demonstrates for the first time how AI can integrate into production without replacing artistry, becoming a tool for exploration rather than substitution.”

On the UK side, Vertigo Films, the London-based outfit behind Britannia, is a full production partner, giving Critterz a significant British footprint. Richardson stated the team aims to “show the world how great artists and storytellers can utilize this incredible technology.” No UK release date or BBFC rating has been confirmed yet, but with Vertigo handling domestic interests, a UK theatrical run looks likely.

When production was first announced back in September 2025, The Los Angeles Times asked whether it heralded “AI’s Toy Story moment.” Whether Critterz answers that question or just makes it louder, Cannes is about to find out.

We’ll keep you posted on updates about Critterz as the project develops.