Utopai Studios Expands AI-Based Film and TV Production with 25 Projects Underway

Five Titles, Including "Half Moon," Set for 2027 Release

AI Approaches Differ for Live-Action, Historical Epics, and Animation

Utopai Studios has begun introducing AI technology in the global market, including Korea, to expand its development of film and TV content. The studio applies AI technology selectively in collaboration with creators worldwide, adapting to the genre and production style of each project.

Currently, Utopai Studios is developing and producing a total of 25 film and TV projects. The company is working on content across various channels, including theatrical release, broadcast, streaming, and digital platforms. In 2027, it plans to release five works to the global market, including three feature films and two series.

The feature films scheduled for release in 2027 are "Half Moon," "Cortes," and "The Most Serious Fart." The series titles include "Space Nation" and "Journey to the West: The Lost Five Hundred Years."

Among these, "Half Moon" is a co-production involving Korean and German production teams. Korean studio Paper Van Studio and German company In Good Company are joining as co-producers, with director Hyoju Yang responsible for both the screenplay and direction. Principal photography began in Bonn, Germany, in August 2026, with a release planned for 2027.

"Half Moon" tells the story of a young girl named Yeri and her aunt Ajin, who spend the summer on a remote island in the North Sea. The film explores themes of loneliness, family wounds, belonging, and emotional healing, centered around these two characters.

The film is being produced primarily using traditional live-action methods, relying on the actors' performances and director-driven storytelling. AI is utilized only for certain visual elements in the production process. At this stage, Utopai Studios' AI cinematic storytelling system, "PAI," is applied.

The scope of AI usage differs for each project. Utopai Studios does not produce all its content solely with AI; instead, it applies AI technology to targeted areas according to the creators' direction and the specific needs of each project.

The historical epic "Cortes" exemplifies these differences. Set against the backdrop of Spain's 1519 conquest of the Aztec Empire, it is a large-scale project whose film adaptation has been pursued for decades. By utilizing AI-based production technology, the studio is able to create massive scenes that would be difficult to achieve with traditional methods alone, addressing both cost and production scale limitations.

"Journey to the West: The Lost Five Hundred Years," inspired by the Chinese classic Journey to the West, primarily employs AI-generated animation as its main production method. Unlike "Half Moon," which uses AI for select visual elements of a live-action film, this project relies much more heavily on AI technology in its production process.

"The Most Serious Fart" combines a traditional, artist-driven production approach with AI technology. The film is based on a children's book published in 2023 by Mike Bender and Chuck Dillon. AI is applied alongside standard production processes such as production design, storyboarding, and animation. The film targets a theatrical release in 2027.

The sci-fi series "Space Nation" is being produced for the global broadcasting and streaming market. Consisting of eight episodes, it is produced by Ex Machina Studios, with Utopai Studios and Brazil's Globoplay serving as co-producers.

Headquartered in Mountain View, California, Utopai Studios is the world’s largest independent AI-native film and TV studio, covering everything from development and investment to production and distribution for movies and TV series. The company is led by co-founder and CEO Cecilia Shen and co-founder and CTO Jie Yang. Its corporate value is estimated at approximately USD 1 billion (about KRW 1 trillion).

The proprietary "PAI" system is used throughout visual development, scene design, continuity management, video generation, and editing in movie and video production. Its application varies according to the genre and type of production, with the system employed alongside traditional production methods.

The company does not view AI as the ultimate goal of content creation, but rather as a tool to enhance the creative process. The purpose of utilizing AI is to support creators' capabilities and to overcome the time, cost, and production scale limitations that exist in traditional film production environments.

This approach is interpreted as presenting a new production standard for large-scale collaborative projects, not only in Hollywood but also across countries in the future.

Going forward, Utopai Studios plans to expand its co-production efforts with global production companies and creators based on its current slate of 25 projects in development and production. It will also work on building global entertainment IP that can be extended to various formats beyond film and TV.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.