International
The Dark Knight Rises still at No. 1 with $34.2 mn intake
MUMBAI: Fighting the hot temperatures in the UK and the Olympics, The Dark Knight Rises remained at the No. 1 spot with an intake of $34.2 million.
According to Warner Bros., the film is tracking 46 per cent ahead of the comparable take of its predecessor The Dark Knight “at today‘s exchange rates.” The Christopher Nolan film has grossed $445.3 million in foreign locales to date, $23.7 less than the overseas total amassed by the first version.
The film‘s top weekend markets included the UK, France and Brazil.
Opening in 13 foreign territories day-and-date with its No. 1 US debut was The Bourne Legacy, the fourth episode of the espionage franchise. The film drew $7.8 million from 694 locations — averaging nearly $11,300 per site — in Eastern Europe, India, the Caribbean and in Asia (Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam).
The film‘s top debut market was the Philippines followed by Singapore, while its No. 2 take was in Taiwan with an intake of $1.2 million from 67 sites for a per-location average of nearly $18,000.
The three previous Bourne titles had grossed a total of $419.6 million on the foreign circuit with the 2007‘s The Bourne Ultimatum leading with an overseas tally of $215 million. 2004‘s The Bourne Supremacy collected $112.3 million offshore while 2002‘s The Bourne Identity registered $92.3 million.
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.
