Can ChatGPT, Gemini or Sora make the zombie trend?
Which AI assistants can make the zombie trend video as of October 2026: ChatGPT makes the stills but not the video, Sora has shut down, Gemini can on a paid plan.
4 min read · Updated
The short answer, October 2026
- ChatGPT: makes the stills, not the video.
- Sora: shut down. OpenAI closed the app and website in April 2026.
- Gemini: yes, in two 10-second clips joined with a hard cut, on a paid Google AI plan.
The zombie trend is about 15 seconds: a cold scene where one of you has turned, then a hard cut to a warm memory. No assistant makes the whole thing in one go, so each route below ends in an editor. This page was checked against each company’s own help pages on 9 October 2026.
ChatGPT: the stills, not the video
ChatGPT’s image generation is on every plan, including free, with limits, and it can edit a photo you upload. That makes it good for the two start frames: one cold still with the turned person and one warm still of the two of you. It does not make video, so animate the stills in an image-to-video model. The zombie love story prompts have the wording for both.
Sora: shut down
OpenAI’s help centre says the Sora web and app experiences were discontinued on 26 April 2026, and the Sora API on 24 September 2026. Older tutorials that use Sora no longer work, and apps or sites calling themselves Sora are run by someone else, so check who before you upload photos.
Gemini: yes, on a paid plan
The Gemini app makes video with Gemini Omni, which replaced Veo 3.1 there. Clips are up to 10 seconds with sound, you can give it up to five reference images, and it needs a Google AI plan such as AI Plus or AI Pro. Videos carry Google’s SynthID watermark, an invisible marker that identifies them as AI-made. The trend takes two clips, one per side of the cut. The Gemini guide has the prompts and the edit.
The rules on real people’s photos
Both companies limit what you can do with someone else’s face. Google asks you to only upload photos you have the right to use, and OpenAI’s usage policies bar using a real person’s likeness without their consent. The trend is made with people you love, so ask them first; it is also the easiest way to get them to share it.
Other routes
Without a paid plan, doing the zombie trend for free covers CapCut templates and free video credits. The zombie AI video generators guide compares the models. Or AI Zombie takes two photos and returns the finished 15-second video with sound and the cut in place, paid with one-time credit packs.
Questions
Can ChatGPT make the zombie trend video?
Not the video. ChatGPT can make and edit images, including from a photo you upload, so it can make the two stills, but it does not generate video. Take the stills into a video model such as Seedance, Kling or Gemini Omni, then join the clips in an editor.
Can I still use Sora for the zombie trend?
No. OpenAI discontinued the Sora web and app experience on 26 April 2026, and its help centre lists the Sora API as ending on 24 September 2026. Sites still using the Sora name are not OpenAI.
Can Gemini make the zombie trend for free?
Not in the Gemini app. Video there needs a Google AI plan and is limited to users 18 and over. Gemini’s image generation can make the stills on the free plan, and Google says Gemini Omni is also free in YouTube Shorts and the YouTube Create app.
