International
Sony to make MJ’s rehearsal film with $50m bid
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures has bid $50 million to acquire the worldwide distribution rights to a film based on rehearsal footage for Michael Jackson‘s This Is It comeback concert series, it is understood.
The bid came after studios, including Paramount, Universal and 20th Century Fox, were shown the footage early last week but all the studios remained tight-lipped on the subject.
Sony Pictures would now produce the film with Jackson‘s concert promoter, AEG Live. The deal would go a long way in helping promoters, AEG Live recoup some of the $30 million to $32 million it spent producing the concert before Jackson expired on June 25.
Incidentally, Sony Pictures had an advantage on the other bidders because its music wing, Sony Music distributes Jackson‘s music and is in a 50:50 partnership with Jackson in Sony/ATV Music Publishing.
Though Sony‘s bid is at par with the cost of making a mid-range budget film, it is offset by the fact that Sony Music would benefit from the music licensing rights of the film.
The promoters are also negotiating with several television networks and pay-per-view outlets on a TV special that would be a stage show featuring Jackson‘s music and dancing. It would be directed by Kenny Ortega.
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.
