International
Troubled film financer David Bergstein sues Miramax owners
MUMBAI: Film financier David Bergstein has sued the owners of Miramax alleging that they haven’t paid him money and an equity stake owed for his role in the acquisition of the film label from Walt Disney Co. in 2010.
The suit, filed by law firm Weingarten Brown, claimed that Bergstein played a crucial role in the deal to acquire Miramax. It further reiterates that Santa Monica private equity firm Colony Capital, one of Miramax‘s new owners and its principal Richard Nanula, conspired to deny Bergstein a $6.1-million fee and 3.3 per cent stake in the company that they agreed to provide him as part of the purchase.
The suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by the law firm, has named Filmyard Holdings, the entity which owns Miramax, as well as Colony Capital and its principal Richard Nanula. While Colony and Nanula are named as defendants as is Filmyard Holdings, others who also have stakes in Filmyard are the Qatari government‘s Qatar Holdings and Ron Tutor, the chief executive of construction firm Tutor-Perini Corp.
It was not clear exactly what role Bergstein played in the acquisition, except that he was working with Tutor before Colony joined the acquisition team in July 2010. In the suit, Bergstein says that he initiated talks with Disney which had already put Miramax up for sale and negotiated the structure of the deal.
He claims that for his work, he was promised two separate $6.1-million fees, one at closing and another when certain conditions were met, plus a 5 per cent equity stake in Filmyard. Later Bergstein agreed to reduce his stake to 3.33 per cent on the insistence of Tutor and Colony chief Tom Barrack.
Colony declined to provide Bergstein with any documentation as part of his stake or a share of profits when the company was recapitalized last fall, the complaint alleges. Bergstein also said that he was not paid his second $6.1-million fee when conditions were met though he did receive the initial payment.
The troubled film financer claims he was cut out because he has been the subject of negative press coverage related to his legal troubles from a string of troubled companies and business deals in which he has been involved. His controversial past would have put off Qatar Holdings and a lender, the complaint says.
Advisory firm Duff and Phelps pegged Miramax‘s value at $813 million when the company refinanced in December. According to Bergstein‘s suit, his 3.33 per cent ownership stake would entitle him to somewhere around $27 million of that valutation, plus whatever moneys investors earned during the transaction.
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.
