International
China box-office returns climbs 44 per cent in 2009
MUMBAI: In 2009, box-office returns in China climbed 44 per cent compared to that of last year to reach $910 million (RMB6.2bn), the highest growth rate in the last six years. In 2008, the growth rate was 27 per cent.
It has been observed that since 2003, the country‘s box-office gross has been continuously growing at an average rate of 30 per cent. China Film Group Corporation spokesperson Weng Li announced the figures after receiving the data during a meeting with officials of State Administration Of Radio Film And Television (SARFT).
Hollywood blockbusters like 2012, Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen, Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince and Ice Age: Dawn Of The Dinosaurs performed strongly.
2012 and Transformers claimed the top two spot at the box-office and each broke the RMB400m mark with $67.5m (RMB461.02m) and $63m (RMB430.29m), respectively. Chinese film Founding Of A Republic garnered $61.49m (RMB420m).
Beijing‘s cinema managers attributed box-office growth to the surge in exhibition especially due to multiplexes developed within large shopping malls.
According to Weng there were 4,700 screens including 750 3D screens and 1,800 digital screens at the end of 2009 that showed a climb of 603 screens from 2008.
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.
