International
‘Hangover’ claims top spot in video charts
MUMBAI: Warner‘s The Hangover shot to the top spot of both the national home video sales and rental charts in its first week in stores beating two big theatrical competitors in Universal Studios‘ Inglourious Basterds and Walt Disney Studios‘ G-Force.
Inglourious Basterds finished second on the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert sales chart for the week ending 20 December as well as on Home Media Magazine‘s rental chart for the same week.
But it was a way-distant second, Nielsen research shows the Quentin Tarantino actioner sold just 42.5 per cent as many copies as the Warner comedy, which uses flashbacks to retrace the escapades of four buddies who went to Las Vegas for a bachelor party.
In rental stores, the film didn‘t fare much better and generated just 50.5 per cent as many rentals as The Hangover.
The Hangover also was the No. 1 Blu-ray Disc seller for the week, according to Nielsen VideoScan research, with Inglourious Basterds taking the No. 2 spot. The Hangover generated 24 per cent of its first-week sales from Blu-ray Disc, another sign that the high-definition format is fast moving into the mainstream. Inglourious Basterds generated 33 per cent of its first-week sales from Blu-ray Disc.
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.
