The first trailer for Gods Don't Give Gifts, the first fully artificial intelligence-generated movie heading to cinemas to seek an Oscar nomination, has released.
The project was created by YouTuber Zack London, known online as Gossip Goblin, alongside independent studio Fable. The feature film will open in select cinemas across the United States and the United Kingdom on December 4.
According to the creators, there are no immediate plans to distribute the picture in Spain, although a future release in that country has not been ruled out.
Artificial intelligence tools have increasingly entered modern film production, allowing creators to generate visual environments, digital characters, and synthetic imagery through software models. While generative technology has sparked industry debates over creative credit, independent filmmakers have used the software to build feature-length releases outside traditional studio channels.
Gods Don't Give Gifts is not the first feature film created entirely with artificial intelligence tools to reach movie theaters. That honor belonged to Post Truth, which screened in more than 50 cinemas across Turkey in 2025. In addition, the AI-generated movie Dreams of Violets secured public screenings earlier in 2026 when it was showcased non-commercially at the Tribeca Film Festival.
The Tribeca Film Festival was founded in New York City in 2002 by actor Robert De Niro, producer Jane Rosenthal, and investor Craig Hatkoff to support independent filmmaking. The festival has grown into a major international venue for independent cinema, digital media, and experimental storytelling.
Futuristic plot and visual aesthetic
The narrative of Gods Don't Give Gifts consists of four connected stories set in Niiro Cradle, a dystopian future world where human bodies are disposable, individual consciousness has become a commodity, and death is no longer necessarily permanent.
The newly released trailer showcases a dark futuristic aesthetic featuring modified humans, giant creatures, complex machinery, and advanced technology that has completely transformed what it means to be alive.
The visual style and sci-fi themes of the trailer are reminiscent of established cyberpunk media titles such as Ghost in the Shell and Altered Carbon.
Ghost in the Shell originated as a Japanese manga series by Masamune Shirow in 1989 before becoming a major media franchise centered on cybernetic bodies and artificial intelligence. Altered Carbon began as a 2002 science fiction novel by Richard K. Morgan, exploring a future where human consciousness is stored digitally and transferred into replacement physical bodies.
Academy Award campaign and rules
Beyond its theatrical run, studio Fable intends to campaign for Gods Don't Give Gifts to be considered in the Best Animated Feature category at the Academy Awards.
To achieve a nomination, the submission must clear rules set by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The producers must demonstrate to Academy members that sufficient human authorship exists behind the use of artificial intelligence tools.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is the principal honor organization for the global film industry, bestowing the Oscar statuettes each year. The Academy established the Best Animated Feature category in 2001 to recognize feature-length animation, which has historically focused on traditional hand-drawn, computer graphics, or stop-motion projects.
The film faces a further hurdle with its R rating from the Motion Picture Association in the United States, which restricts entry to viewers under 17 unless accompanied by an adult, matching European age ratings of 16 or 18.
Despite the restrictive rating, adult animated features have previously earned Oscar nominations. Charlie Kaufman's stop-motion film Anomalisa was nominated for Best Animated Feature in 2015, and Adam Elliot's stop-motion story Memoir of a Snail received a nomination in 2024.
The Motion Picture Association established its rating system in 1968 to provide audience guidance for cinema releases in the United States. An R rating designates restricted content that requires parental supervision for younger viewers due to adult themes or violence.
Stop-motion animation involves physically manipulating puppets or models in small increments between individual photographic frames to create fluid movement. Both Anomalisa and Memoir of a Snail utilized the technique to deliver mature animated narratives for adult audiences.
Following its limited US and UK theatrical debut on December 4, Fable and London will submit the film for awards consideration as they attempt to secure an Oscar nomination for an AI-generated movie.
