International
Red Box Films in co-production deal with Passion Pictures
MUMBAI: Red Box Films has entered into a co-production partnership deal with John Battsek‘s Passion Pictures.
The first project to come out of the deal will be Marsh‘s next documentary that according to Red Box founder Simon Chinn, will be “classic James Marsh territory.”
The untitled project, that is currently on the floor has been fully funded by BBC Films, the UK Film Council and Icon Distribution that will also handle the film‘s international sales. The film is likely to be completed next summer in time for an autumn release.
Under the partnership, the two companies will concentrate on producing feature documentaries for theatrical release. Red Box will be based out of Passion Pictures‘ London office.
The Passion slate currently includes films like How To Live Now and Miranda Bowen‘s Nambia-set ghost story Skeleton Coast.
Said Battesk, who won an Oscar for Passion Pictures with Kevin Macdonald‘s feature documentary One Day In September in 2000, “The hope is that Simon and I, through our companies, will offer an obvious place for both international and domestic film-makers to come and get their films made in a collaborative way, as well as presenting ourselves as a team who financiers will have significant faith in.”
Chinn added: “John and I have a similar sensibility about feature documentary making and we are using James‘s project to forge a strategic partnership in which we will share projects and work together on all our documentary output.
“We are looking for stories that have the potential to work on the big screen not just aesthetically but also commercially. If we can find one or two big stories a year, that would be fantastic.”
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.
