International
Hangover’s ‘Stu’ Ed Helms in talks to co-star in Jason’s Stretch
MUMBAI: The Hangover star Ed Helms is in negotiations to be roped onboard the thriller movie, Stretch directed by Joe Carnahan.
Ed Helms would apparently be co-starring opposite the Insidious star Patrick Wilson in the movie.
It has been confirmed that Jason Blum, the producer of the weekend BO shocker, The Purge would be financially backing the thriller project under his Blumhouse production banner.
The story revolves around a limo driver nicknamed Stretch played by Patrick Wilson, who is trying to get clean and pay back a debt owed to a bookie when he gets the passenger from hell.
The Star Trek star Chris Pine has already been roped in and would play the passenger, who is selling his ledger of criminal associates to the highest bidder.
As reported by Hollywood Reporter, Helms is in talks to play a fellow chauffeur at Stretch‘s company, the ideal driver who is a ghost and shows up as Wilson‘s conscience.
While the cast has almost been finalised it is reported that the shooting would commence this summer.
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.
