International
ITV acquires ‘The Vampire Diaries’ and ‘Harry Potter’s fifth series
MUMBAI: ITV, a commercial television network in UK has strike a content deal with Warner Bros. International Television Distribution (WBITD), and has acquired the rights for The Vampire Diaries, and fifth installment of Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
The announcement was made by ITV‘s director of digital channels and acquisitions Zai Bennett, and WBIT president Jeffrey R. Schlesinger.
“We are delighted that the ITV family of channels will continue to be the home of many of Warner‘s first class feature films; including the terrestrial premier of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix on ITV1 and all new series The Vampire Diaries for ITV2. The deal further cements ITV and Warner Bros. working relationship,” says Bennett.
The UK broadcaster has also secured rights for Gossip Girl, based on the lives of students in New York, Academy Award-winning animated feature Happy Feet, Batman, Oceans and Matrix franchises.
The Vampire Diaries, series is from Bonanza Productions Inc., Outerbanks Entertainment and Alloy Entertainment in association with Warner Bros. Television and CBS Television Studios.
Schlesinger said, “Despite speculation as to UK buyers‘ appetite and pricing for US programs this year, the acquisition of The Vampire Diaries by ITV2 proves that in-demand series will still generate significant interest and license fees in the UK. We are especially pleased to place this series targeted at the youth audience on ITV2.
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.
