What the film is
Chinese streaming platform iQIYI has launched Qitan: Paper Blade Across the Wasteland, a 60-minute fantasy film it describes as the first AIGC online story film in China to receive a Network Drama/Film Distribution License. The release marks a regulatory milestone for generative AI in Chinese entertainment, where most AI-generated work has so far been confined to short-form clips and micro-animations.
Qitan: Paper Blade Across the Wasteland was co-produced by iQIYI and DaMeng Innovation, and is the opening installment of a planned trilogy built on Chinese supernatural folklore. The story leans on traditional ghost-and-stranger aesthetics, with iQIYI positioning the project as a creative testbed for its in-house AI production stack, including the Nadou Pro agent that the platform launched in March 2026.
The 60-minute runtime is the practical breakthrough. AIGC in Chinese video has until now mostly meant short episodes, ad clips, or social-first content. A full-length drama with a license clears the path for studios to plan serialized AIGC content the same way they would any other drama.
The license that actually matters
Distribution licenses for online drama in China come from the National Radio and Television Administration, and they are required for any show that wants to air on the major streaming platforms. AIGC work has historically struggled to clear that gate, both because the rules around AI-generated content have been tightening and because the existing regulatory framework was written for human-produced work.
A license for Qitan means the project has been reviewed under the same standards as a regular iQIYI original, including the now-mandatory content review for AI-generated scenes, the disclosure of AI involvement in the credits, and the labeling requirements that took effect for AIGC content in 2025.
Why iQIYI is pushing this
iQIYI has been the most aggressive Chinese streamer on AI integration. It launched Nadou Pro as an AI production agent earlier in 2026, debuted two AI micro-animations (My Mecha is a Bit OP and Imperial Exorcist Guards) during the Chinese New Year window, and is working with GHY Culture and Media on a fully AI-generated feature in its Ferryman series.
Qitan is the first time any of those efforts has produced a full-length, license-cleared film. If the show performs, expect at least two of the other major Chinese streamers to announce their own licensed AIGC dramas before the end of the year. The race is on to own the first credible AI-native franchise in China's regulated streaming market.