Mumbai, Maharashtra | July 30, 2025: Ace filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, renowned for his visionary storytelling in films like ‘Elizabeth’ and ‘Bandit Queen,’ has embarked on a groundbreaking new venture, ‘Warlord,’ a science fiction series created entirely using artificial intelligence. The highly anticipated teaser for this innovative project was released on Tuesday, offering a glimpse into a universe born from cutting-edge technology and imaginative concepts.
‘Warlord’ delves into a captivating narrative centered around powerful warriors tasked with defending mystical crystals that are the very essence of a galaxy’s power. Kapur explains that these crystals are “fundamental particles beyond neutrinos that create the universe but exist for only a millionth of a millionth of a millionth of a millionth of a second.” This intricate scientific premise forms the backbone of the series’ fantastical elements.
Written and directed by Shekhar Kapur, the series follows an interdimensional warrior whose survival in mortal danger is intrinsically linked to his lover in another dimension. Kapur elaborates on this unique concept: “The only time that lover can bring him to her is when he’s absolutely close to death… So if the sword hits him and he’s so close to death, she shifts him to a different dimension, and you might just see the sword going through him, but he’s not there.” This interdimensional love story promises to add a deeply personal and emotional layer to the grand sci-fi saga.
Kapur’s ambition for ‘Warlord’ extends far beyond a single series. He envisions a collaborative, open-source creative ecosystem, planning to make all production design and characters available for other creators to use. He terms this initiative “a rainforest of ideas,” where users can adapt elements from “Warlord” for a nominal one-cent fee, provided their creations also remain open source for others to build upon. This revolutionary approach aims to democratize content creation and foster a shared creative universe.
To bring this vision to life, the director is partnering with Studio Blo, a generative AI company established in Mumbai in 2024, with additional presences in Dubai, London, and Los Angeles. Studio Blo has already made a name for itself with credits including Warner Music India’s music video ‘The Heartbreak Chhora,’ featuring Bollywood star Ayushmann Khurrana, and Music Today’s ‘Purana Pyar,’ featuring Aishan. Kartik Shah has been brought on board as the composer for ‘Warlord.’
The project represents a dramatic departure from conventional filmmaking methods. Kapur highlights the efficiency gained through AI, noting that sequences that would have traditionally required “months and months” to produce are now being completed in a mere two weeks. This accelerated production timeline underscores the transformative potential of AI in the entertainment industry.
Shekhar Kapur is a firm believer in AI’s power as a democratizing force, predicting it will fundamentally disrupt the long-standing dominance of large studios and streaming platforms. “The studios have followed the wrong model… AI is going to destroy the myth of budgets, destroy the myth of being big,” he asserted, drawing parallels to how Napster revolutionized and decentralized the music industry.
One of the series’ most striking visual elements is its unique design aesthetic. Kapur revealed that the spaceships in ‘Warlord’ are inspired by jellyfish, envisioned as living, organic vessels rather than traditional metallic crafts. He foresees a future where “materials will heal themselves,” leading to “spaceships… made out of living materials and organic materials that heal and live.” These organic ships are designed to move through space “like sails using the winds of the universe,” propelled by “the force of the particles, the fundamental particles of space,” adding to the series’ unique scientific and artistic vision.
The ‘Warlord’ universe is planned for extensive expansion into films and games, further cementing its place as a sprawling, interconnected narrative world. In an effort to foster the next generation of AI-driven filmmakers, Kapur also intends to establish an AI-focused film school in Mumbai’s Dharavi, a move that could significantly impact the landscape of Indian cinema and global creative production.