“Cursed” Heidi trailer made by AI is pure nightmare fuel

Chris Tilly
A still from the fake Heidi movie.

A trailer – created by AI – for a non-existent Heidi movie is racking up huge numbers online. Largely because it’s absolute nightmare fuel.

Heidi is a beloved children’s story about a five-year-old girl and her grandfather living in the Swiss Alps. Written by Johanna Spyri and first published in 1880, it’s been passed down from generation to generation, and is one of the bestselling books of all time.

So it’s no surprise that Heidi has been adapted multiple times for the screen. Shirley Temple starred in a 1937 movie, while there have been animated versions, TV adaptations, and even one with talking dogs, called Heidi 4 Paws.

But this week an altogether darker Heidi hit the web, and it’s pure, unadulterated, nightmare fuel.

“Cursed” Heidi trailer made by AI is pure nightmare fuel

The trailer was posted by a YouTuber called Karpi, alongside the word #cursed, and this explanation: “I’ve asked an AI to generate a trailer for a HEIDI movie and now I can never sleep again.”

The trailer can be viewed here or below, but beware, it isn’t for the faint-hearted. And bears little resemblance to the original story.

The trailer received 39k views during its first day on YouTube. But on Twitter, the video has truly taken off, being viewed by 6.3 million people thus far, with that number rising all the time.

Hate for the AI Heidi trailer

Underneath the trailer, Karpi explains that he took the AI-generated footage and edited it, color-graded it, and added music. He also jokes: “Coincidentally, this is how it FEELS to grow up in Switzerland.”

Others aren’t seeing the funny side of this monstrosity, however. One user writes: “Good lord, lock that thing up in a box.” While another simply demands: “delete this.”

For more TV and Movies coverage – of real content made by actual people – head here.

About The Author

Chris Tilly is the TV and Movies Editor at Dexerto. He has a BA in English Literature, an MA in Newspaper Journalism, and over the last 20 years, he's worked for the likes of Time Out, IGN, and Fandom. Chris loves Star Wars, Marvel, DC, sci-fi, and especially horror, while he knows maybe too much about Alan Partridge. You can email him here: chris.tilly@dexerto.com.