'The Lion King' director praises China's AI development

"The Lion King" director Rob Minkoff expressed enthusiasm for China's artificial intelligence development in an interview with China.org.cn on Wednesday, as he returned to the 15th Beijing International Film Festival (BJIFF) as a jury member for its AI-generated content (AIGC) section.

Director Rob Minkoff speaks at the Creation Forum during the 15th Beijing International Film Festival, April 23, 2025. [Photo courtesy of the BJIFF Organizing Committee]

"China's developing different AI tools, and I think that's very exciting," Minkoff said. "I think AI tools will most certainly impact filmmaking in a variety of different ways. The tools are improving so rapidly, and what they are capable of doing is quite remarkable."

Chinese director Guan Hu is leading the jury for the festival's second annual AIGC Unit, with Minkoff joining actor Tan Zhuo, digital artist Wang Lei and director Chen Jianying as members. The BJIFF Organizing Committee stated that they established the AI section to strengthen China's film industry, provide new creative resources for filmmakers and push boundaries in cinema development.

AI tools can help filmmakers bring their creative visions to life, Minkoff said, while acknowledging widespread concerns about the rapidly emerging technology.

"It came on so quickly, really within the last year or more," he noted. "A lot of people feel threatened by it. So, my hope is that we'll find a way to use these tools, but to use them in a humane way, to obviously have people always remain at the center of the creation of all films and all stories."

The filmmaker has frequently visited and worked in China since his first trip in 1997, expressing positive feelings about his experiences in the country. He later returned to make "The Forbidden Kingdom" in 2008 — a China-U.S. coproduction starring Chinese kung fu megastars Jackie Chan and Jet Li.

"I got to spend a lot of time in China and work with a lot of great Chinese filmmakers, the actors and the people behind the camera," he said. "I was very lucky to do that, and I had a great experience. It's always been a pleasure to come back."

Minkoff, who is currently developing several film and television projects, some with Chinese elements, also expressed concern about China-U.S. tensions, noting that trade difficulties can have unintended consequences.

A Chinese poster for "The Lion King" (1994). [Image courtesy of The Walt Disney Company]

The director also shared memories from directing the original "Lion King," noting its unexpected development into a major entertainment franchise. "At that time, we were just trying to make as good a movie as we could," he said, noting how the franchise's evolution — including musical and live-action remakes — has kept the story relevant.

"It still feels very fresh," Minkoff noted. "Some movies are made and then they kind of lose their value. But somehow 'The Lion King' has been able to maintain it for a very long time."

As a filmmaker who began his career as an animator, Minkoff praised the remarkable success of the Chinese animated feature "Ne Zha 2."

"It has dominated the Chinese box office, performing beyond anyone's expectations," said Minkoff. "It's inspiring for filmmakers and animators, and an indication of China's progress, as well as the huge potential of the Chinese market."