International
Ice Age sequel tops overseas BO with $78 mn
MUMBAI: Releasing more than two weeks before its July 13 in US and Canada, Blue Sky Studio‘s Ice Age: Continental Drift, which was released by 20th Century Fox in 9,505 screens including some 4,200 3D screens in 34 markets, took the number one spot with a weekend intake of $78 million.
At no 2, The Amazing Spider-Man raked up worldwide box office of $2.5 billion till date from 6,068 sites in just 13 markets drawing $50.2 million over the weekend.
Continental Drift is the fourth title in the increasingly remunerative computer animation franchise that has grossed $1.918 billion worldwide in the last 10 years. “It took the top spot in each of its opening markets, said a Fox statement.
Continental Drift‘s opening strength in Latin and South America was impressive. It set debut records in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Central America and in Chile. The Mexico premiere drew $13.8 million from 2,516 situations. Brazil kicked in $6.9 million at 1,010 spots. In France, the animation sequel notched the biggest opening of the year, generating $11.8 million at 1,072 venues Australia which contributed $6.4 million at 580 locations.
The original 2002‘s Ice Age, grossed a total of $381.8 million globally with most of that ($207 million) coming from overseas playoff. The worldwide take for 2006‘s Ice Age 2: The Meltdown increased to $649.5 million with $457 million derived from the foreign circuit. Continental Drift opens this week in 14 markets including Germany and Holland.
The Amazing Spider-Man concentrated on Asian openings with South Korea ($13.4 million at 1,213 sites), Japan ($11.4 million drawn from 1,092 spots) and India ($6 million at 1,236 venues) throwing off the biggest numbers.
It may be remembered that Sony had decided to skip many European markets until the Euro Cup soccer tournament ended. However, a No. 1 Germany bow produced $4.2 million at 755 locations.
Third on the weekend was DreamWorks Animation‘s Madagascar 3: Europe‘s Most Wanted, that drew $16.2 million in its fourth round overseas playing at 7,011 locations in 44 territories.
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.
