International
Lionsgate reports Q1 loss of $44.2 mn
MUMBAI: US film and entertainment studio Lionsgate has reported revenue of $471.8 million, adjusted EBITDA of $17.1 million, and net loss of $44.2 million for the first quarter ended 30 June 2012. The loss was in part due to theatrical marketing costs.
Revenue in the first quarter increased by 81 per cent compared to $261.3 million in the prior year quarter, driven by the North American theatrical revenue of ‘The Hunger Games‘ and the films ‘Cabin In The Woods‘ and ‘What To Expect When You‘re Expecting‘ as well as revenue gains in the company‘s home entertainment business.
Adjusted EBITDA of $17.1 million and EBITDA of $(13.4) million in the first quarter compared to EBITDA of $28.7 million and adjusted EBITDA of $27.5 million in the prior year quarter and net loss of $(44.2) million in the first quarter compared to net income of $10.3 million in the prior year quarter due in part to an increase of $90 million in theatrical marketing costs associated with five releases in the quarter (including four wide releases) compared to one release in the prior year quarter.
The company noted that all five releases are anticipated to be profitable on an ultimate basis.
EBITDA and net loss in the quarter were also affected by increased G&A costs due primarily to increased stock-based compensation largely associated with the increase in the Company‘s stock price as well as increased costs associated with the integration of Summit Entertainment.
Profitability in the quarter was also impacted by increased interest expense, a non-cash charge for early retirement of a significant portion of the Summit term loan debt and the application of purchase accounting required by GAAP.
Lionsgate‘s film backlog was $992 million till 30 June 2012. Filmed entertainment backlog represents the amount of future revenue not yet recorded from contracts for the licensing of films and television product for television exhibition and in international markets.
Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer said, “We completed our first quarter on target for our fiscal year and our three-year plan. Our financial results in the quarter were affected by marketing costs for a slate of five films, primarily noncash stock-based compensation and a noncash charge for paying down a significant portion of our Summit term loan debt early. However, with two-thirds of the profitability of the first HUNGER GAMES film still ahead, we anticipate that the combined benefits of our Summit acquisition, the strength of our young adult franchises and the continued evolution of our television business will translate into significant and growing contributions for the balance of our three-year plan.”
Overall motion picture revenue for the first quarter was $406.5 million, an increase of 111 per cent from the prior year quarter. Within the motion picture segment, theatrical revenue was $137.6 million, a fivefold increase from the prior year first quarter, attributable to the box office performance of The Hunger Games, the 12th highest-grossing North American release of all time, and the other theatrical releases mentioned above.
Lionsgate‘s home entertainment revenue from both motion pictures and television was $145.5 million in the first quarter compared to $92.9 million in the prior year quarter driven by five major DVD and digital releases in the quarter.
Television revenue included in motion picture revenue was $37.1 million in the first quarter, a decrease of 14 per cent from the prior year quarter.
International motion picture revenue of $48.6 million (excluding Lionsgate U.K.) for the first quarter increased more than fourfold from the prior year quarter driven by the worldwide theatrical release of ‘The Hunger Games‘ as well as revenue contributions from the ‘Twilight‘ films, ‘Cabin In The Woods‘, ‘What To Expect When You‘re Expecting‘ and ‘Man On A Ledge‘.
Lionsgate UK revenue was $32.6 million, a nearly threefold increase from the prior year quarter, on the strength of a theatrical slate driven by ‘The Hunger Games‘ and Lionsgate UK‘s ‘Salmon Fishing In The Yemen‘ Television production revenue was $65.3 million in the first quarter, a decline of 5 per cent compared to the prior year quarter due primarily to fewer deliveries from the company‘s Debmar-Mercury syndication arm offset in part by increased digital media revenue from ‘Weeds‘ seasons six and seven and Mad Men season five in their home entertainment windows.
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.
