International
Cineworld acquires Picturehouse Cinemas in UK
MUMBAI: The second-largest British exhibitor Cineworld has taken over art house cinema chain Picturhouse Cinemas by buying out its parent company the City Screen Group for $76 million (?47.3 million) in cash.
The deal was finalised between Cineworld and City Screen majority owner Arts Alliance and will add 21 sites and 60 screens to its real estate along with Picturehouse Entertainment, the distribution arm operated by the group. Cineworld also made public the fact that it plans to open 10 new locations across UK in the near future. Arts Alliance has been the majority shareholder of Picturehouse since 2002.
Post the buyout, Picturehouse will operate as a separate business entity within the Cineworld Group and there will be no change in the existing Picturehouse management team that runs the outfit.
For FY12 Picturehouse reported audited sales of $48.8 million (?30.3 million), profit before tax of $4 million (?2.5 million) and gross assets of $56 million (?35 million).
Cineworld CEO Stephen Wiener said, "This acquisition gives us an opportunity to accelerate our growth by reaching new audiences in a high value and growing part of the market. We recognize that Picturehouse is valued by its customers and we look forward to supporting the business through the next phase of its development."
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.
