International
Sequel to Dragon in the offing
MUMBAI: So much has How To Train Your Dragon earned at the box-office that it has become a multimedia franchise and a sequel to the film is scheduled for screens in the second half of 2013.
A live arena show, something similar to Walking With Dinosaurs is also in the works. Also in development are a TV series and an online virtual world based on Dragon.
“Dragon is at $180 million in domestic grosses and on track to equal the box-office performance of Kung Fu Panda that amassed $215 million domestically and is getting a somewhat similar franchise treatment. Panda, though, boasted a $60 million opening weekend compared with $44 million for Dragon that cast doubt on a sequel for the latter.” Katzenberg said.
Katzenberg also noted that Dragon has such impressive legs at the box-office because it is DreamWorks Animation‘s best-reviewed film. It is in the “beloved category,” he noted. The CEO also talked up Megamind, saying the November 5 release starring Brad Pitt, Tina Fey and Will Ferrell will do for the superhero genre what Shrek did for fairy tales.
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.
