International
Veteran producers in plans for film fund
MUMBAI: Two of Hollywood‘s veteran producers namely Arnon Milchan and Terry Semel are in plans to launch a $1 billion-plus fund to finance studio projects.
The duo is fashioning a pitch that draws two key distinctions from past film-fund deals: Milchan and Semel would be hands-on exec producers of the films that get funding. The duo would pick and choose from projects all around town rather than strike an exclusive deal with any one studio.
Milchan and Semel believe the dearth of outside financing has Hollywood in a particularly receptive mood for their pitch.
“They think that with there being no slate financings around and with their specifice pedigrees and reputations in the business, it‘s a great time for them to do this,” said a financial community insider.”
“All sorts of people are saying they don‘t want to invest in Hollywood anymore. So Arnon and Terry are saying to the studios, ‘There is nobody better than us to do this for you; the fund will be run by the most experienced professionals this time,” he added.
The plan would see Milchan and Semel each contribute $200 million or more to set up the fund, while turning to banks and other lenders for additional capital.
Still, it‘s unlikely Milchan and Semel will be without competitors for long in this new game.
The fund to be launched by Milchan and Semel is expected to be unveiled this year.
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.
