Cinematic AI News
Utopai Studios has raised $60 million at a one billion dollar valuation, according to an October 23 report in The Information. Founded in 2022 and led by Cecilia Shen, the company develops AI production tools while pursuing original films and television series. It has more than 20 projects in development, including three features and two series planned for 2027, and is targeting theatrical distribution across 3,000 North American screens. The Information also reported term sheets for a possible further round at a valuation of $2 billion to $3 billion. Those terms are prospective, not completed financing.
Google DeepMind introduced Genie 4 on October 27, demonstrating interactive environments that can be explored and altered using prompts and controls. Google identifies filmmaking previsualization among potential uses. The attraction for directors is the ability to explore a location and adjust a scene interactively. The company acknowledges limitations in spatial accuracy, object permanence and long-session consistency. Restricted access makes it too early to judge whether Genie 4 can support dependable production workflows.
Elon Musk has promoted an AI adaptation of Homer's Odyssey as a rival to Christopher Nolan's film. A separate seven-minute episode released by Wonder Studios X and director Dev Walker attracted criticism for dialogue, lip synchronization and storytelling. Savaged by the press for being awful (it is), Wired reported that even Grok acknowledged historical inaccuracies in the production. This project should not be confused with filmmaker Nem Perez's five-minute Grok Imagine competition entry, which won a $100,000 prize in September. They are separate productions. Elon likes the Odyssey, I guess.
Cinematic AI Picks
What’s the Job? Arrives on YouTube following Asana win. Italian AI filmmaker Jacopo Zanetti, known as Jaio, released the award-winning What's the Job? on YouTube October 27. The surreal, Kafka-esque comedy follows people waiting to be assigned their roles in life before questioning who gets to make that choice. The film won Best Visual at the Astana AI Film Festival on October 3, a prize carrying $50,000. Zanetti wrote and directed the short and completed editing, color and sound design in DaVinci Resolve.
Davide Bianca has released the first episode of A Song to Raise the Dead, a supernatural crime series he originally conceived as a comic book in 2017. Its protagonist, Tabo, is an NYPD forensic investigator and the last Onmyoji, descended from generations of spellcasters who confront demons and ghosts. The New York-set series combines police procedural with supernatural horror and creatures drawn from international folklore. Written by Anthony Burns and directed by Bianca, the GRAiL production is executive produced by Bianca and Jeff Krelitz.
The Death of Fear: What Happens When Monsters Become Obsolete? AI filmmakers Tamara Llorens and Miguel Picazo have released The Death of Fear, a Halloween dark comedy mockumentary about monsters who have lost their power to frighten people. Grog, a retired monster who once lived under children's beds, recounts the decline of fear as the Boogeyman, Dracula, and other legendary creatures struggle to adapt. Released October 26, the animated short was created using Dreamina for animation, Midjourney and ChatGPT for visual development, Suno for music, and ElevenLabs for voices. The film is an official selection of the 2026 Macabre & Mayhem [esc] festival. The filmmakers previously made Hallow Metro, winner of Best Animation at the 2025 AI Movie Awards and a Festival award.
Filmmaker Ari Kuschnir, founder of m ss ng p eces [sic] has been making AI-generated political satires featuring caricatures of Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Sam Altman and Mark Zuckerberg. The videos draw on the language of 1990s infomercials to lampoon data centers, AI companions and political proposals. In a September Fast Company profile, Kuschnir said his shorts typically take six to eight hours to produce using tools including Seedance, FLUX and ElevenLabs. This is a filmmaker profile rather than a new-release item.
Tales of Grimwicke: A 22-Minute AI Fantasy Made in Four Weeks. Filmmaker Charlie Driscoll, a cinematographer and commercial director with nearly two decades of experience, has released Tales of Grimwicke, a dark fantasy featuring anthropomorphic mice, badgers, and other woodland creatures. Driscoll, who previously specialized in Unreal Engine filmmaking, says he produced the 22-minute first chapter in four weeks, spending approximately $4,500 on AI generation. Using Seedance 2.5, Midjourney, Nano Banana, and ElevenLabs, he generated 847 takes totaling more than five hours of footage, selecting 127 clips for the finished film. He also developed custom production tools using Claude and Adobe Premiere Pro. Chapter II is underway.
The Chroma Awards opened submissions October 19 with organizers advertising more than $450,000 in prizes and travel benefits. Categories include film, television, advertising, music videos, games and behind-the-scenes work, with a microdrama category sponsored by ReelShort. Organizers say the previous competition attracted more than 6,500 entries from over 5,500 creators. Entry is free; submissions close January 7, 2027, and winners are scheduled for February 11.
Charlie Fink and Joanna Popper host The Pop Fink Podcast, where we will talk about AI, Media and Culture. This week's guest is producer Christina Lee Storm, head of narrative content at Secret Level. Links will follow after posting.
