Japanese generative video tech firm Vidu has launched two strategic initiatives: A partnership with Honor to embed its advanced image-to-video AI technology into the Honor 400 Series smartphones, and an IP deal with the 1999 Journey to the West anime.
Together, Vidu says these moves ignite the “smartphone-studio era,” transforming consumer-grade devices into AI-powered creative tools, while positioning generative platforms as engines for cultural IP origination. This accelerates Vidu’s development of a proprietary IP catalog, reshaping ownership models and creative possibilities in the generative video landscape.
The Honor 400 Series (launched May 28, 2025) integrates Vidu’s multimodal Image-to-Video AI feature, enabling professional-grade video generation directly on consumer devices. Users can instantly transform static images into cinematic videos — powered by Vidu’s breakthrough in real-time, mobile-optimized processing, which overcomes historical computational limits on smartphones.
“In an AI landscape dominated by giants, our partnership with Honor validates a core belief: true innovation thrives,” said Luo Yihang, CEO at ShengShu Technology. “Vidu’s mobile-optimized architecture overcoming historical bottlenecks to deliver cinematic video generation on consumer devices, transforms smartphones from passive tools into proactive creative partners. This collaboration isn’t just about technological integration, it’s about democratizing studio-grade storytelling and redefining how humanity interacts with intelligent systems.”
While OpenAI’s Sora took visual cues from Studio Ghibli for its showcase, Vidu says it has pioneered long-term IP value through co-creation, securing rights and embracing cultural legacy and thus setting a blueprint for next-gen original content studios. Announced today at Vidu’s Tokyo Global Talents Meetup, its Journey to the West partnership empowers the community to reimagine the legendary Monkey King — a character whose influence spans from opera to Dragon Ball Z and 2024’s Black Myth: Wukong — transforming the classic into a dynamic canvas for timeless IP.
As the feature rolls out on Vidu over the next several months, users will be able to upload a single photo of themselves and enjoy creatively reinterpreting the Monkey King through a modern lens. Vidu analyzes the photo and applies the distinct aesthetic of the 1999 Journey to the West anime art style to the user’s likeness with high fidelity. The user can then select from a curated list of engaging, pre-defined plotline templates or scenarios that will result in a 16 second personalized video segment.
For instance, in one template, Sun Wukong (The Monkey King) is conjuring many little monkeys to help with his chores. But he can be made to humorously interact with your digital likeness at the same time, and affix believable generated voiceovers and background music to the clip.
“We’re incredibly excited not only about this partnership, but about what it represents for the future of IP,” said Yihang. “For the first time, generative AI isn’t just powering creativity behind the scenes, but it’s becoming a vehicle for ownership, worldbuilding, and reimagining beloved stories. Only now, with Vidu, we’re proving that generative video platforms can do more than generate content. Vidu is building for creative co-ownership through strategic partnerships or even future acquisitions, which can help shape the next generation of cultural IP.”
These announcements follow the recent launch of Vidu’s Q1 model, which introduced features that it claims rival cinematic-grade visual effects. These include its First-to-Last Frame technology for seamless transitions between realistic and animated sequences, and industry-first AI sound effects that deliver high fidelity 48 kHz audio. In parallel, Vidu formed a strategic partnership with Lenovo to deploy its models across Lenovo hardware, advancing its push into consumer and professional ecosystems. And the company also secured a content deal to produce an AI-animated series in partnership with Luo Yan and D.T. Carpenter’s Aura Prods.
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