International
Disney approaches Gores as talks with Weinsteins called off
MUMBAI: After its negotiations with Weisteins and its investor Ron Burkle were called off, Disney is set to renew talks with the Gores Brothers for the acquisition of Miramax.
The Gores had reportedly bid around $600 million for Miramax, but the amount was below the $625 million offered by the Weinstein/Burkle group and the $650 million bid by Pangea Group CEO David Bergstein.
Regarding the Weinstein talks, Burkle apparently decided that $ 625 million was too high and asked for a reduction. That‘s when talks broke down and Disney, which sought $700 million for Miramax called off the exclusive negotiating period.
Meanwhile, the Gores also are moving ahead with a bid of about $ 300 to acquire Overture Films and its related assets including the Anchor Bay home entertainment arm and animation companies, from Liberty Media.
The Gores‘ vision is to use the Overture management, pay TV slots, home video and other distribution capability to launch a company that could hit the ground running and maximise the value of the Miramax assets.
One reason the Weinsteins‘ backers believe they aren‘t done with Miramax is that whoever buys it will have to deal with Harvey and Bob Weinstein, who retained certain rights when they sold the company to Disney.
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.
