International
Disney sale of Miramax Films finalised
MUMBAI: The $663 million sale of Miramax Films by Disney to Filmyard Holdings, the group led by construction exec Ron Tutor and investor Tom Barrack was finalised on Friday.
Qatar Holdings, that invests for the Middle Eastern country‘s royal family, also is a major investor in the deal. Among the minority investors is actor Rob Lowe through a fund he created with Barrack‘s Colony Capital.
The investors put up about $200 million, while a group of banks led by Barclays raised debt of about $400 million. (Qatar Holdings holds a minority stake in Barclays). New York investment bank Jefferies & Co. helped raise the debt, while Mesa Global, an investment bank that includes Mark Patricof, formerly at CAA, was involved in valuating the assets. Mesa also has been a part of such deals as the sale of ContentNext and paidContent.org to the Guardian and recent funding for the theatrical troupe the Blue Man Group.
The buyers got about $50 million in cash that came with Miramax, another $10 million in adjusted fees and about 700 films in the library, many of which are licensed for theatrical, TV and video around the world for years to come.
The deal includes the Miramax name, some 300 development projects, 90 book rights and a handful of finished films waiting to be distributed. Two movies, Don‘t Be Afraid of the Dark and The Debt, are expected to be released in 2011 by a distributor other than 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.
