International
The Amazing Spider-Man beats Transformers opening Tuesday performance
MUMBAI: Sony‘s The Amazing Spider-Man starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone has beaten the $27.9 million debut of the first version of Transformers that released in 2007. The Marc Webbs-directed film had set off early 4 July at the domestic box office.
The $220 million Sony reboot — looking to relaunch the franchise by going back to the beginning with a new cast — nabbed the top opening for a Tuesday with roughly $35 million, eclipsing the $27.9 million debut of Transformers on the same day in 2007.
“We are off to an outstanding start here in North America with big fireworks still to come!,” a Sony executive said.
Spider-Man, starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, is being helped at the box office by the upcharge for a 3D ticket and is doing big business in Imax theaters, the favourite venue of young fans. Roughly around 300 Imax theaters contributed $4 million to the $35 million booty.
Estimates vary in terms of how much Spider-Man will earn in its six-day debut. Bullish observers believe it could earn $120 million to $140 million.
On the other hand, Transformers had grossed $155.4 million in its six-day debut after opening on Tuesday although it grossed $8.8 million in advance Monday night shows and a total of $13.5 million including midnight runs.
The film, also starring Martin Sheen, Denis Leary and Sally Fields, is off to a stellar start overseas, where it debuted to $50 million last weekend in only 11 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.
