International
Warcraft shatters IMAX opening-day box office records; Grosses $5.32 million, or RMB 35 million on 290 IMAX® screens across China
MUMBAI: IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX) and IMAX China (HKSE: 1970) today announced that Warcraft, released by Legendary Pictures, scored a record-setting opening day – including midnight shows – in 290 IMAX® theatres across China with box office of $5.33 million, or RMB 35 million. The new all-time record surpassed the previous record-holder Furious 7’s RMB 31 million. In addition, Warcraft also breaks the IMAX midnight show (RMB 9.03 million) and presale (RMB 53.8 million) record in China, driven by its strong following.
Warcraft was adapted by Blizzard Entertainment’s video game juggernaut and its release date in China is two days ahead of North America. Of the total for midnight grosses, Wanda’s 151 IMAX screens accounted for RMB 4.7 million, or nearly half.
John Zeng, President and board director of Wanda Cinema Line Corporation said: “I’m thrilled to see what Wanda IMAX screens have achieved in presale and midnight show box office, which is the best example to show that the pairing of Wanda Cinema’s premier theater environment and IMAX technologies has been strongly recognized by the Chinese moviegoers. And I believe it is only the start for Warcraft’s journey in China.
“Warcraft presents a spectacular world for moviegoers and IMAX is definitely the best way to experience the scenes. We are excited about this incredible opening across IMAX screens in China and look forward to the future partnership with IMAX to bring new record-setting films to the moviegoers,” said Peter Loehr, Managing Director of Legendary East.
“Warcraft has become a true cultural phenomenon in China, and IMAX is pleased that the fans’ passion and loyalty has translated into this record-setting opening day for IMAX,” said Greg Foster, Senior Executive Vice President, IMAX Corp. and CEO of IMAX Entertainment. “Congratulations to Legendary, Wanda, Universal and all of our other partners involved in this film. We are proud that our collaboration has resulted not only in these fantastic numbers, but has launched a new cinematic franchise.”
The IMAX® 3D release of Warcraft will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. The crystal-clear images, coupled with IMAX’s customized theatre geometry and powerful digital audio, create a unique environment that will make audiences feel as if they are in the movie.
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.
