Utopai Studios has become the world’s largest independent AI-native film and television studio, according to Variety, and Forbes estimates its valuation at $1 billion. The company, which launched in August 2025, now has 25 original projects in development and production, with three feature films and two series scheduled for 2027. The milestone matters because it tests whether generative AI can move beyond viral clips and technical demos into the sustained, long-form storytelling that defines the global entertainment industry.
Utopai Studios was founded by CEO Cecilia Shen and Chief Technology Officer Jie Yang. Its model integrates AI into production infrastructure from the start, but the company says creative decisions remain with filmmakers and artists. At the center is PAI, a cinematic storytelling system that can support visual development, scene planning, continuity, video generation, editing and localization. PAI is designed to work alongside established filmmaking tools, not replace them.
The company has built a global production network. In Asia, it is developing more than 18 original projects and has partnerships with Huace Film & TV Co., Ltd. in China and DeNA Co., Ltd. in Japan. In April, Utopai announced a partnership with Huace, which owns one of the world’s largest television IP libraries. Their first collaboration is the animated series “Journey to the West: The Lost Five Hundred Years.”
The 2027 slate demonstrates that AI-native production is not a single visual style. “Half Moon,” written and directed by Hyo-joo Yang and presented with Germany’s In Good Company and Korea’s Paper Barn Studios, began principal photography in Germany in August 2026. PAI supports select visual elements while the film remains grounded in live-action performances. It follows Yeri, a neglected young girl, and her aunt Ah-Jin as they reconnect on a remote North Sea island.
“Cortés,” a historical epic set in 1519, is a Marco Weber Production written by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Nicholas Kazan and directed by Paul Mignot. Shooting is planned for September in Spain, with a wide theatrical release in 2027. Utopai will use AI-enabled tools to overcome scale and cost limitations that previously kept the project from the screen, while filmmakers retain creative control.
“The Most Serious Fart,” based on Mike Bender’s 2023 children’s book, is an animated feature scheduled for wide release in 2027. Bender will write and direct, with Russell Hollander producing. The story follows Siegfried, an unusually serious fart searching for belonging. Traditional animation craft remains central, with AI used as part of a human-led process.
On television, “Space Nation” is an eight-episode sci-fi series produced by Ex Machina Studios and co-produced by Utopai Studios and Brazil’s Globoplay. Co-created by Marco Weber and Martin Weisz, who directs all eight episodes, it follows elite pilots defending Earth. Principal production is underway in alignment with Hollywood guilds. “Journey to the West: The Lost Five Hundred Years,” developed with Huace, uses a more fully AI-generated animation pipeline and reimagines the untold history of Sun Wukong.
Utopai has also extended its reach through sports and creator partnerships. Basketball star Carmelo Anthony invested through Creative 7 Productions and became a strategic partner, while James Harden collaborated on an animated short. The 2027 slate will be the company’s most important proof point: whether AI-native production can deliver finished films and series that stand on their own as entertainment.
