International
Avatar still on top globally in ninth week
MUMBAI: James Cameron‘s Avatar has emerged numero uno globally with a collection of $ 59 million from 8,543 screens in seventy one markets in its ninth week.
Cameron‘s blockbuster epic in 3D pushed its record-setting overseas gross total to $1.690 billion and its unprecedented worldwide total to $2.350 billion.The 20th Century Fox release was the sole holdover in the weekend‘s top five titles.
Topping market for Avatar in the weekend was Japan that generated $5.8 million from 569 spots drawing $121.9 million. Other big markets in order of market total are France ($156.4 million), China ($155.5 million), Germany ($125.3 million), the UK (124.4 million) and Russia ($108.5 million.)
Warner Bros‘ Valentine‘s Day followed Avatar in the second spot kicking off its foreign run at 4,562 venues in 52 markets for a weekend tally of $30.4 million at an average of $6,664 per-screen.
The Garry Marshall romantic comedy opened strongest in Australia (No. 1 with $6.4 million from 373 sites), the UK (No. 2 with $4.7 million from 432 spots) and Germany ($2.5 million from 410 sites). Domestically, in the US, the film grossed $52.3 million in the weekend.
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief opened in the third spot.
It grossed $28 million from 5,800 screens in 40 territories. It secured the No. 1 spot in South Korea, Brazil, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia and Venezuela.
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.
