International
Johnny Depp voiced Rango is No.1
MUMBAI: The Johnny Depp-voiced Rango scored a No. 1 opening at the overseas box-office with an approximate gross of $16.5 million drawn from 3,815 screens in 33 markets.
A droll animation western directed by Gore Verbinski boasted of No. 1 openings in the UK and Ireland ($3.1 million from 472 locations), Mexico ($2.7 million from 511 venues), Spain ($1.9 million from 369 spots) and Argentina ($450,000 from 106 situations). Rango, also the No. 1 domestic opener, bows this week in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and Italy.
On the whole, the Rango openings was the best in many markets those of Megamind, a DreamWorks Animation title that Paramount opened overseas last 28 October and accumulated a foreign gross total of $171.1 million so far.
The Adjustment Bureau, took the No. 2 spot in the UK took in $2.4 million from 438 spots while its No. 2 Australia opener yielded $1.9 million from 219 locations. The film also opened No. 2 in the US and Canada. Universal‘s drama-romance starring Matt Damon, which took in $10.5 million from 1,957 locations in 21 markets.
Universal said that the opening weekend figure was the biggest for a Damon vehicle since the $30 million bow 2007‘s The Bourne Ultimatum, and was bigger than the $9 million opening of 2002‘s Bourne Identity.
Hall Pass, the New Line/Warner Bros.‘ comedy from the Farrelly brothers (Bobby and Peter) starring Owen Wilson, premiered in five overseas markets for $2.3 million from 443 screens. Almost all the action came from the film‘s No. 1 Australia opening ($2 million from 305 screens).
DreamWorks‘ sci-fi thriller I Am Number Four finished at the No. 3 spot with a haul of $12 million drawn from 4,184 screens in 26 territories.
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.
