International
Sony Pictures rides to $2 bn mark on back of 2012
MUMBAI: Empowered by the super success of 2012, Sony Pictures Releasing International (SPRI) will have crossed the $2 billion mark at the box-office this coming weekend.
“The record haul will power Sony Pictures Entertainment to its best-ever box- office year worldwide,” said Sony Pictures Worldwide Marketing & Distribution chairman Jeff Blake.
2009 marks just the fifth time in motion picture history that any studio will have passed the $2 billion milestone internationally, following Paramount in 2008, Warner Bros. in 2007 and 2004, and 20th Century Fox in 2006.
SPE has already notched $3.357 billion at the box-office, surpassing the studio‘s previous worldwide box-office record of $3.334 billion in 2006.
Blake further said, “Even in the midst of an economy that continues to challenge our industry, this has been a tremendous year in just about every way we can imagine. First and foremost, we have had an extremely strong slate of films built by Amy Pascal, Michael Lynton and the Columbia, Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Animation production teams led by Doug Belgrad, Matt Tolmach, Clint Culpepper and Hannah Minghella.
In recent weeks, SPRI has pushed toward the $2 billion landmark with the blockbuster release 2012, that is supposed to pass $500 million internationally this weekend ($620 million worldwide box-office to date).
SPRI‘s many hits in 2009 include Angels & Demons that reached $352.6 million in foreign markets; Terminator Salvation, that made $220.6 million in SPRI‘s territories; District 9, that generated $69.4 million in SPRI‘s territories; The Ugly Truth that has taken in more than $114.2 from foreign audiences; The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 that grossed $86.4 million internationally and Seven Pounds, released in 2008 that earned $99.3 million from international markets in 2009. Finally, Michael Jackson‘s This Is It, that ended its highly successful run in most territories on Tuesday by rompiing in $180.0 million internationally, making it the most successful concert film of all time.
Domestically, this year, Sony Pictures has released eight top grossers and is enjoying one of the highest grossing years at the box-office in the studio‘s history with more than $1.370 billion to date.
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.
