International
New Moon is supremo overseas with $23.2m haul
MUMBAI: Summit International‘s New Moon held on to the overseas crown in what will almost certainly be its last weekend in charge ahead of the global launch of Avatar, adding an estimated $23.2m from 8,735 sites in 66 territories.
The film‘s international performance so far stands at $360.1m. Interestingly, New Moon‘s global tally has reached $627.5m.
New Moon has grossed $41.5m in the UK, $34.9m in France, $30.4m in Germany, $30.3m in Australia, $28.4m in Spain, $22.6m in Brazil, $17.9m in Russia, $16.9m in Mexico, and $2.5m in Japan. China is yet to receive the film.
Sony Pictures Releasing International‘s smash 2012 ranked second overall after adding a further $20m from 8,540 in 77 markets, elevating the running total to a formidable $556m.
The film‘s highlights included: $2.1m in Japan from 609 for $30.7m after four weekends; $1.6m in South Korea from 266 for $32m after five; $1.5m in France from 526 for $42.1m after five; $1.5m in Germany from 637 for $35m after five; and $1.4m in Brazil from 532 for $21.6m after five. China remains the biggest territory for the film with an extraordinary $65.4m running total. The UK has generated $30.7m, Australia $16.9m, Spain $21.5m, and Mexico $17.9m. All results mentioned here except Japan are after five weekends.
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs added $2.2m from 1,190 in 30 for $72.1m and Zombieland grossed $2.2m from 717 in 31 for $17.7m.
The Stepfather released in Mexico and the UK on $100,000 from 151 screens and $65,000 from 92, respectively. Armored opened in Spain on $45,500 from 140.
The Princess And The Frog, the number one release in North America this weekend, released in ten day-and-date territories on a very promising $7m from 1,486 screens.
Up crossed $400m as a number one hold in the second weekend in Japan and a further $5.6m from 663 screens pushed the tally there to $16m and the international running total to $401.4m. This puts Up as the third biggest Pixar release and only the fifth title this calendar year to cross $400m overseas.
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.
