iQIYI launches trailer for its first AI‑driven multi‑season drama, highlighting the studio’s push into generative‑AI long‑form video
Executive summary: iQIYI unveiled the trailer for its first full‑length hybrid AI multi‑season drama “Immortals Over Mortal Love.” The move signals iQIYI’s commitment to integrating generative AI into its long‑form content slate, potentially reshaping its competitive position in the Chinese streaming market.
Who is involved: iQIYI, Inc. (Nasdaq: IQ), its content production team, and the AI technology partners involved in the drama’s creation.
Likely next: The company is expected to release the full series on its platform following the trailer rollout, pending production completion.
iQIYI unveiled the trailer for “Immortals Over Mortal Love,” marking its debut full‑length hybrid AI multi‑season drama. The release shows the company’s commitment to embedding generative AI in its content pipeline as competition among Chinese streaming platforms intensifies. While the trailer signals progress, no details on release date, budget, or viewer response were disclosed.
What's next — scenarios
Base Case: Incremental Efficiency Gains (50%)
Production costs for secondary and background visual assets will drop by 15-20% over the next two years, forcing competing studios to adopt similar workflows to maintain margin parity.
- iQIYI announces an official release date without significant viewer backlash over AI aesthetics
- Industry peers confirm adoption of comparable generative video tools in Q3 earnings calls
Upside Case: Cost Revolution and Blockbuster Hit (20%)
Early monetization and high engagement of the AI drama will trigger a valuation re-rating for streaming platforms with proprietary production tech, accelerating industry-wide capital expenditure on generative video.
- Streaming viewership metrics or subscriber growth spike tied directly to the show's launch
- Major competitors rush to announce their own competing full-length AI drama slates within 60 days
Downside Case: Quality Backlash and Regulatory Friction (30%)
Viewer rejection of AI-generated aesthetics combined with tightening content regulations on synthetic media will force iQIYI to write down early generative R&D investments and revert to traditional pipelines.
- Public social media backlash over uncanny valley effects or copyright concerns regarding training data
- Noticeable tightening of regulatory guidelines on AI-generated broadcast content by Chinese authorities
What to watch
- iQIYI official announcement of the release date and monetization model for 'Immortals Over Mortal Love' within the next 60 days
- Audience sentiment and critic reviews on social media platforms like Weibo within 2 weeks of trailer reception or pilot release
- Competitor announcements regarding generative AI video budgets during upcoming quarterly earnings reports over the next 90 days
Timeline
- — iQIYI Unveils the Trailer of Its First Full-Length Hybrid AI Multi-Season Drama “Immortals Over Mortal Love” (GlobeNewswire)
- — Amodei lleva razón: la IA necesita una supervisión similar a la bancaria (Expansión)
Analysis — what this means
Sectors affected
- Online video streaming
- AI-generated content