Singapore's First AI-Hybrid Drama Crooks Uses AI Sets, Keeps Human Actors

Singapore's film and television industry is getting its first taste of AI-assisted production with Crooks, a nine-episode drama that began principal photography in June 2026. The series, inspired by the true story of Eighteen Chefs founder Benny Se Teo, uses artificial intelligence to generate period-accurate backgrounds and environments — from a 1968 Chinatown street scene to a 2008 restaurant kitchen — while keeping every speaking role performed by a human actor.

The production, directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Lemmon Wong and produced by Singapore's B-01 Films, had an unusually long gestation. Conceived in 2017 as a feature film, Crooks was repeatedly delayed by Covid-19 and investor withdrawals. Producer Boi Kwong said he was initially against using AI, but turned to it after a significant portion of investors pulled out during Chinese New Year this year, citing the economic climate and global conflicts. The AI-assisted workflow reduced production costs by roughly 30% and lets the crew wrap filming about three hours earlier each day.

Lead actor Christopher Lee, who plays ex-convict chef Ah Cheng, said he agreed to the project only because the role required a full human performance. "If they only required my appearance to generate Ah Cheng with AI, I wouldn't have agreed to it," he said. "That wouldn't be my work." The cast includes Chen Yixin, Noah Yap, Peter Yu, and Rayson Tan. Over 50 crew members across production, technical, and editing roles are being reskilled to work in AI-enabled environments, with the visual effects department actually expanded rather than cut.

The practical implications are significant for Singapore's small but ambitious film sector. Filming takes place entirely in a studio, with actors performing against white backdrops while AI-generated environments display on monitors in real time. The team spent months stress-testing AI tools for camera tracking, lighting, and storyboarding before production began. The series targets completion by 2027, with licensing rights expected to be sold to streaming platforms including Netflix, iQiyi, and WeTV.

Why it matters for Singapore: Crooks offers a real-world template for how Singapore's creative industries can adopt AI without sacrificing jobs or artistic integrity. The production kept every human role, expanded its technical crew, and cut costs by a third — exactly the kind of pragmatic, workforce-first approach that policymakers want to see. It also demonstrates that Singapore can produce genuinely innovative AI-enabled content, not just consume tools built elsewhere. For an industry that employs tens of thousands and punches above its weight regionally, that's a meaningful proof point.