Breaking News:Humanoid’s Alpha reenacts Rowan Atkinson’s Love Actually scene– What Just Happened

A new holiday video featuring Humanoid’s HMND 01 Alpha Bipedal has blended robotics with pop culture, after recreating one of the most iconic scenes from the Christmas classic “Love Actually.”

The one-and-a-half-minute-long ad, which was shared on the UK firm’s YouTube channel on December 22, stars the AI-powered robot and draws clear inspiration from the gift-wrapping scene performed by Rowan Atkinson in the 2003 film.

In the hit scene, Rowan Atkinson’s character famously delays a purchase made by Harry, portrayed by Alan Rickman, by wrapping a necklace with exaggerated care and decoration.

Humanoid’s video opens inside a minimalist retail setting. A woman enters the store and places a small robot on the counter, where HMND 01 Alpha is working as a shop clerk.

Robotics meets rom-com

As the video continues, Alpha politely asks whether the purchase should be gift-wrapped, thus mirroring the tone and pacing of the original film scene. When the customer asks for something “simple,” the robot agrees and begins the task.

Alpha then proceeds to place the small robot inside a clear acrylic box, prompting the customer to question whether the packaging might be excessive.

The humanoid responds confidently that it is “so much more than a box,” before adding decorative stars, pine cones, and candy canes, thus escalating the scene’s absurdity in a clear nod to the original film.

What follows is a deliberately exaggerated take on gift wrapping that highlights the robot’s capabilities, while the accumulating decorations leave the customer increasingly uneasy.

The scene becomes even more comedic when the woman asks the robot to hurry. Alpha responds calmly, saying “I’ll be done in a second,” while continuing to add ornaments.

When the woman’s husband arrives and questions the delay, the robot explains, “I’ve only had hands for a week,” a line that subtly references the learning curve involved in humanoid manipulation and dexterity.

Applied robotics

As the couple’s impatience peaks, Alpha adds a final flourish, a mistletoe leaf, before presenting the result. However, the robot realizes the wrapping has gone too far. While the customers are distracted, it slides the over-decorated box aside and replaces it with a neatly pre-wrapped red package.

Finally, the robot hands the woman the simplified version. The couple leaves the store, as Alpha announces “Gift-wrapping complete.” A closing scene shows the humanoid casually playing with the small robot on its desk.

The short film reflected a broader theme in humanoid robotics, including learning through trial, error and correction. It also underscored adaptation and judgment, capabilities that remain challenges in the industry.

“It’s imperfect and full of festive chaos, inspired by Rowan Atkinson and classic Christmas comedy,” Humanoid commented in a statement. “Robots don’t start with all the answers, and that’s what makes teaching them so much fun.”

Built in just five months, the five-foot, 10-inch, nearly 200-lb humanoid robot made headlines when it launched in early December. It reached stable bipedal walking within 48 hours of assembly.

By then, the company revealed that it had already logged millions of seconds of simulated experience. “HMND 01 is designed to address real-world challenges across industrial and home environments,” Artem Sokolov, Humanoid’s founder and CEO said.