International
Real Steel reigns at No. 1 at domestic b-o
MUMBAI: Real Steel, distributed by Disney has topped the domestic box office chart with an intake of $27.3 million. Overseas, the DreamWorks film starring Hugh Jackman grossed an impressive $22.1 million for a worldwide debut of $49.4 million.
In North America, the film succeeded in luring younger moviegoers, who have been noticeably absent from the multiplex in recent months, as well as posting one of the better openings for early October.
Real Stee, a film on Robot boxing, l launched over the weekend in 19 foreign territories, of which only three of which are major markets like Russia, Australia and Mexico. The film opened on top in each of the territories grossing $6.9 million in Russia, $5.4 million in Australia and $2.9 million in Mexico.
“The film succeeded in playing to a variety of demos,” said Disney executive vice president of distribution Dave Hollis, adding that families made up 25 per cent of the audience, teenagers 15 per cent and couples 60 per cent, many of whom were younger.
The George Clooney-directed The Ides of March ranked at No. 2 in its debut, grossing $10.4 million. “The acting is absolutely tremendous. You coudn‘t take your eyes off any one of these actors,” Sony president of worlwide distribution Rory Bruer said of the film.
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.
