ABSTRACT

This study develops an original analytical framework that systematically conceptualizes the role of artificial intelligence in the cinema industry through the lens of algorithmic governance. The framework comprises four dimensions: visibility management, value attribution, labor management, and predictive management. It is applied to examine how AI technologies, including platform recommendation algorithms, generative visual systems, and data driven script evaluation tools, are reshaping film production and distribution. Drawing on media studies, cultural political economy, and critical algorithm studies, the paper employs a hybrid deductive and inductive thematic analysis of 19 open access studies published between 2023 and 2026. The sample includes 14 peer reviewed articles, four preprints, and one repository paper, with 15 studies published in 2025 or 2026. The analysis is supplemented by publicly available platform policies and documentary evidence concerning industry disputes and litigation. The findings indicate that algorithmic systems improve production efficiency but may also reduce cultural diversity, increase the precarity of creative labor, and intensify unresolved tensions concerning intellectual property and creative authorship. The paper concludes with policy recommendations on algorithmic transparency and cultural diversity, drawing on the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act, the Digital Services Act, and existing European and East Asian content promotion frameworks.