International
China-based Bona Film in talks with 4 Hollywood studios
MUMBAI: Chinese film distributor Bona Film Group Ltd. is in talks with four Hollywood studios for co-producing movies for international distribution.
“We hope to work with the larger studio houses … and we‘re having discussions with several,” Bona Film Group CEO Dong Yu has reportedly said. The studios that Bona is talking to include Universal Pictures, Sony Corp., Twentieth Century Fox and Viacom Inc.‘s Paramount Pictures.
If the talks materialise, the plans would represent an acceleration of Chinese-US film co-productions, which have typically been made on a one-off basis. Some of the studios in mention have entered joint ventures or co-productions with Chinese companies in recent months. Walt Disney Co., for instance, had partnered with China‘s DMG Entertainment to co-produce the next “Iron Man” film in China in April.
Last month, News Corp. had declared that it had bought a roughly 20 per cent stake in Bona but the deal didn‘t include any production agreement with Fox. Yu said that he would like to work with Fox as a “preferred partner” but Bona would be free to make deals with other studios.
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.
