International
Hopkins, Mirren play Hitchcock and wife in film
MUMBAI: Anthony Hopkins has been signed to play Hitchcock in Fox Searchlight’s Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho while Helen Mirren will play the filmmaker‘s wife Alma Reville.
On the other hand, Scarlett Johannson has also joined the cast of the film that is being directed by Sacha Gervasi (Anvil! The Story of Anvil fame). Johannson will play Janet Leigh, the actress whose chilling shower scene became one of the most iconic in film history.
The film is based on the non-fiction book by Stephen Rebello that tracks how Hitchcock, at the height of his game as a director, decided to make a "lowly" horror movie. No studio wanted to touch it initially, so Hitchcock scrounged for financing by himself. The movie, of course, became one of his biggest hits and one of the most influential of all time.
The project was earlier in development at Paramount for four years. Montecito Picture Co., which has a first-look deal with Paramount and set it up there in 2007, remains on board as producer. At the center of the script by John McLaughlin (Black Swan) and Rebello is the relationship between Hitchcock and his wife.
Scarlett Johannson is joining the cast of Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho, a behind-the-scenes drama being directed by Sacha Gervasi (Anvil! The Story of Anvil), sources confirm to THR. She will play Janet Leigh, the actress whose chilling shower scene became one of the most iconic in film history.
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.
