International
DreamWorks Studios bags filming rights of Shadow and Bone
MUMBAI: DreamWorks Studios has acquired the filming rights of Leigh Bardugo‘s debut novel Shadow and Bone. This was announced by Holly Bario, President of Production at the studio.
Shadow and Bone‘ is a riveting and wholly original adventure set in a breathtakingly imaginative world. In the film, a young woman must learn to control her newly discovered power in order to save her country from the Shadow fold, a creature-filled darkness that threatens to overrun the land.
Commented Bario, “At DreamWorks, we are always looking for great stories, and with Leigh‘s ‘Shadow and Bone‘ we found not just a fantastic story, but one set in a mystical and fascinating world that will translate well to the big screen. We are excited to begin adapting this book and look forward to working with David Heyman who has unparalleled proven success in this genre.”
Observed Bardugo, “I can‘t think of a better home for Shadow and Bone. From moment one, I knew the story would be in great hands, and I‘m truly thrilled.”
“Shadow and Bone” debuted on the New York Times‘ Best Sellers list with Bardugo being one of the few first-time authors to make that list this year. The book has been selling consistently since its 5th June publishing date and Macmillan went back for a third printing at the end of July. Amazon also selected Shadow and Bone as both an adult and children‘s ‘Book of the Month‘ pick and is the only title to have that distinction.
Internationally, the book was released simultaneously in the United Kingdom with ten more territories scheduled for release over the next year. The next book in the series, Siege and Storm is scheduled for release in June 2013 with the third installment coming in summer 2014.
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.
