International
Sony Pictures Entertainment to release ‘The Smurfs 2’ on 2 August
NEW DELHI: The adorable and widely popular blue Belgian friends are back to spread their magic on the big screen from 2 August.
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is all set to release live action/animated family blockbuster comedy, The Smurfs 2 in 3D. The film will be released in English and Hindi in all key metros and is a sequel to the 2011 film The Smurfs and based on the characters and works of Belgian comics artist Peyo. The Hindi version has a song rendered by the nine participants of Sony Entertainment TV channel‘s Indian Idol Junior.
In this sequel the friendly blue creatures from mushroom houses promise to entertain their fans with more mischief and adventure.
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In this installment Director Raja Gosnell introduces two new characters, the Naughties, Hackus and Vexy.
The film stars Neil Patrick Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Jayma Mays, with Katy Perry as Smurfette and Hank Azaria as Gargamel. Joining the voice cast are Christina Ricci and JB Smoove as Vexy and Hackus.
In this sequel to the hybrid live action/animated family blockbuster comedy The Smurfs, the evil wizard Gargamel creates a group of mischievous Smurf-like creatures called the Naughties to harness the all-powerful, magical Smurf-essence. But when he discovers that only a true blue Smurf can give him what he wants – and only a secret spell that Smurfette knows can turn the Naughties into real Smurfs – Gargamel kidnaps Smurfette and imprisons her in the city of Paris. To save their beloved Smurfette, Papa and the Smurfs return to our world and reunite with Patrick and Grace Winslow, joined in their new adventure by Patrick‘s estranged stepfather Vic, before Gargamel can learn the secret and rule the world!
The Smurfs, the world‘s favourite three-apple-high heroes have entertained children and adults around the world since its inception in a Belgian comic book in 1958. The Smurfs have been a great success in every medium, right from coming to life in comics, books, television series, films, videogames, live shows, figurines and finally, they ruled the world‘s box office.
The film was a global phenomenon, going on to take in over $560 million and won hearts of people across the globe.
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.
