Shekhar Kapur’s Warlord: A New Sci‑Fi Universe Built Entirely with AI

Shekhar Kapur has announced Warlord, a brand‑new sci‑fi series made entirely using generative artificial intelligence, in collaboration with Studio Blo in Mumbai. This isn’t a film shot on sets or using actors—it’s created with AI from story to visuals to design. Kapur describes it as a “living universe,” something creators across the world can build on, remix, and expand. 

At first glance, Warlord looks like a surreal dream—floating jellyfish-shaped starships, glowing figures that dissolve into pure energy, and crystal particles that flash into existence for mere femtoseconds. But emotionally, it centers on an interdimensional lover pulling her warrior back from death—a poetic vision of love across dimensions. 

How Warlord was made using AI

Working with Studio Blo, Kapur set out to use technology differently. The studio helped create scenes that would normally take months—in just weeks. Spaceships heal like living creatures. Crystals flash and hold cosmic power. The visuals are all generated using algorithms rather than cameras. 

Dipankar Mukherjee, co‑founder and CEO of Studio Blo, said Kapur challenged them: “He came with a series of impossibilities. A complete series made by AI, and open‑source IP. We had to reinvent both tech and storytelling.” 

Kapur himself called the project a break from old Hollywood: “With AI, we now have the tools to imagine stories that go beyond dimensions of time, space, and consciousness.” He sees AI as a way for indie artists to compete with blockbusters. 

What the Teaser Reveals?

The teaser which is released on tuesday 29 july, 2025, is composed of a series of surreal scenes that create an emotional weight. A jellyfish-shaped ship floats above the surface of an alien planet. A woman de-materializes into light. A single, shadowed figure observes. There is no speech, and yet the images evoke both loss and longing—and some cosmic beauty. 

That sense of emotional weight—loss, love, sacrifice, power—is what Kapur hopes to add to AI. He feels machines can always contribute to a more personal, more poetic story. 

Why this is important to creators and storytellers

Kapur intends to share all the character assets, production design, and similar materials globally with all creators. For one cent per use—and if the resulting work is still open-sourced—any creator can leverage Warlord’s universe. He calls this a "rainforest of they ideas." 

This model has the potential to completely change traditional studio hierarchy. Ruin the power dynamic by shifting power from the big budgets to the individual imagination and creativity. To be frank, he describes this disruption as akin to how Napster disrupted music sharing. 

What happens next: formats, participation, schooling

Kapur states that Warlord is just the beginning. They intend to grow the universe across film, games, and other formats all under the shared IP framework. Its not that the universe is going to grow simply on creator's interpretation, it is going to grow based on what creators envision and develop. 
 
He also wants to establish a low-budget AI film school in Dharavi in Mumbai that would equip aspiring storytellers with AI tools not just to dream but to create. 
 
@taherdhanera shared from X (Twitter): 
 
"The future of cinema lies with storytellers. @shekharkapur's Warlord, an AI-crafted sci-fi series, proves it—created with imagination, not billion-dollar budgets. AI isn't stifling creativity; it's unleashing it." 

The future of cinema lies with storytellers. @shekharkapur's Warlord, an AI-crafted sci-fi series, proves it—created with imagination, not billion-dollar budgets. AI isn't stifling creativity; it's unleashing it. Bollywood, long dominated by big stars and money, is changing. A…

— Taher Dhanerawala (@taherdhanera) July 29, 2025

Why Warlord could change storytelling forever

• Democratizing film creation: Creators globally can access high-quality assets at low cost.
• Speed & scale: What took months now takes weeks—in visuals, story, design.
• Emotional reach: It’s not just tech tricks; it centers on love and sacrifice.
• Open-source model: Everyone can participate—before, film IP was locked away.
• Visionary legacy: Kapur has made landmark films like Bandit Queen and Elizabeth; Warlord shows he’s betting on a new path forward.

Kapur is now festival director of IFFI (International Film Festival of India), but with Warlord, he’s making a statement: the storyteller’s power doesn’t need studios; it only needs imagination.