International
The Huger Games tops overseas grossing $59.3 mn
MUMBAI: Already a box office superhit in the US and Canada, Lionsgate produced The Hunger Games opened on the foreign theatrical circuit grossing $59.3 million at around 7,700 locations in 67 offshore markets.
Overseas, the action/sci-fi vehicle opened as the weekend‘s No. 1 after the films‘ foreign opening was said to be the year‘s second biggest opening; nearly $10 million less than the March 11 debut weekend gross of Disney‘s John Carter at 51 locations.
Starring Jennifer Lawrence as a 6-year-old heroine who fights to survive a last-person standing contest, Games registered dominant No. 1 market introductions in Australia via Roadshow ($9.69 million at some 260 sites) and in the U.K. via Lionsgate ($7.49 million from some 515 situations).
Leading the non-English-speaking markets was Russia where The Hunger Games grossed $6.5 million. The No. 1 France debut via Metropolitan Filmexport kicked in $3.75 million from about 400 locations while Germany via Studio Canal contributed even more, $3.9 million from 610 sites.
Based on the first book of Suzanne Collin‘s popular trilogy about kids killing kids in a dystopian future, Games drew a worldwide opening gross of $214.3 million.
Debuts in Italy, South Korea and Spain will take place next month while the film‘s Japan opening is scheduled for September.
On the other hand, Disney International‘s Carter, that was the No. 1 overseas for the last two rounds, grossed $22.2 million on the weekend in 54 territories that is more than four times its domestic tally. Carter dropped to fourth place in key markets like Australia, Germany, Spain and South Korea. It finished No. 7 in the U.K., No. 8 in Italy and No. 9 in France.
Finishing No. 3 on the weekend was Fox International‘s The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel which picked up steam on the foreign circuit with openings in about a dozen markets, highlighted by a No. 2 Australia debut, which produced $3.75 million from 288 screens.
Weekend gross overall for the comedy-drama about British pensioners in India came to $8.26 million drawn from 1,859 sites in 18 markets. Foreign cume stands at $33.3 million. Hotel opens domestically on May 4.
International
Utopai Studios unveils 4K three-minute video generation for PAI platform
New Story Agent and editing tools aim to streamline AI-led filmmaking workflows
MUMBAI: Utopai Studios has announced a major upgrade to its PAI storytelling AI platform, introducing what it claims is an industry-first capability to generate three-minute videos in 4K resolution, alongside enhancements to its Story Agent feature.
The update, rolling out from April 15, expands the platform’s capabilities across the filmmaking process, from early concept development to post-production. The company said the new features are designed to help filmmakers maintain continuity across characters, scenes and visual styles, a key challenge in AI-driven storytelling.
At the heart of the release is a next-generation model that enables more structured narrative development, allowing creators to move more seamlessly from idea to execution. With tools such as multi-shot sequencing and multi-turn editing, the platform aims to give both studios and independent creators greater control over complex storytelling workflows.
Commenting on the launch, Utopai Studios co-founder and CTO Jie Yang said, “The next phase of AI in media will not be defined by isolated tools, but by systems that can carry story, continuity and collaboration across the full creative process.” He added that the update is a step towards enabling more practical, end-to-end narrative development at a professional level.
Echoing this, Utopai Studios co-founder and chief scientific officer Zijian He said, “Generative video is opening the door to a new production model, where creative ambition is less constrained by traditional cost and complexity.” He noted that the platform combines multimodal models with iterative editing to give creators more speed, control and consistency.
The company said PAI is already being used in professional film and television productions, particularly in Hollywood, for tasks such as pre-visualisation, scene design and post-production refinements. The latest update adds features including improved voice options, character consistency, unlimited editing and more flexible asset management.
Utopai also emphasised that its models are not trained on copyrighted material, positioning the platform as a cleaner alternative for creators and rights holders navigating the evolving AI landscape.
As AI continues to reshape content creation, Utopai’s latest push signals a shift from standalone tools to integrated systems, aiming to make high-quality filmmaking faster, more flexible and increasingly accessible.
