In an era where AI can help make movies about anything, Utopai Studios has farted.

Production company AI will produce an animated film adaptation of “The Most Serious Fart,” a 2023 children’s book written by “Not Another Teen Movie” screenwriter Mike Bender and illustrated by Chuck Dillon that was inspired by Bender’s Lyme disease diagnosis amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The book follows Siegfried, an “exceptionally serious” fart determined to change the global perception of flatulence while finding a sense of belonging along the way.

Bender will write and direct the film, which will be produced by “Flight Risk” producer Russell Hollander. While Utopai’s slate of projects is primarily made up of AI-generated productions, “The Most Serious Fart,” which the studio is preparing for theatrical release, will employ AI solely as a tool used by a team of human animators and illustrators, whom the studio will reveal at a later date.

Bender said he was drawn to Utopai after a number of Hollywood animation studios “simply couldn’t take a chance on an original, unconventional story,” prompting him to contact the studio and meet with its CEO and co-founder, Cecilia Shen. Utopai’s investment in him as a director and desire to retain Dillon throughout the production process won him over, allowing him to direct an “extremely personal” project while maintaining “the integrity of the look and feel of the book,” Bender said in a statement.

“Utopai’s approach allows filmmakers like me to tell more original stories in a time when there are fewer major studios making fewer films and therefore taking fewer risks,” Bender said. “Fortunately, as evidence of the box office, audiences are craving original films from disruptive companies like Utopai. My hope is to make something that will ultimately bring more joy to the world and maybe, just maybe, turn some serious farts.”

“We were drawn to ‘The Most Serious Fart’ because behind the comedy is a universal story about the desire to be understood,” Shen said in a statement. “Mike believed in this project long before he found a studio prepared to fully support his vision. We believe Siegfried can become a major global franchise and we look forward to bringing this film to audiences in theaters around the world.”

“The Most Serious Fart” is the latest in Utopai’s suite of literary adaptations, an area that many AI studios have invested in as they seek to produce proofs of concept for their models. The studio last month announced a partnership with Chinese production company Huace to produce a fully AI-generated adaptation of “Journey to the West: The Lost Five Hundred Years,” an origin story of the Chinese mythological book from 1592. That series will be produced using Utopai’s PAI AI storytelling platform.

Supporters of the studio also include NBA stars Carmelo Anthony and James Harden, and Anthony invested in the company through his production company Creative 7 and joined Utopai as a strategic partner.