Carmelo Anthony, through his production company Creative 7, has become a strategic partner in Utopai Studios as part of a new initiative focused on developing sports and entertainment intellectual property using AI-powered storytelling systems.
The partnership will see Anthony and Creative 7 co-founder Asani Swann work with Utopai Studios to expand athlete-led entertainment projects across film, television, streaming and digital platforms. The collaboration aims to combine sports storytelling with AI-native production infrastructure to create scalable entertainment properties rooted in original intellectual property.
At the centre of the partnership is PAI, Utopai Studios’ proprietary cinematic storytelling AI system, which is designed to support multiple stages of professional entertainment production. According to the company, the platform assists with content development, visualisation, scene planning, continuity management, editing, localisation and delivery within an AI-integrated production workflow.
The initiative reflects Utopai Studios’ broader expansion into sports-focused entertainment and creator-led intellectual property development. Through the partnership, the company aims to provide athletes with greater involvement in ownership, authorship and creative control while accelerating production timelines through AI-enabled systems.
Carmelo Anthony said, “We’re excited to partner with Utopai Studios. What stood out to me wasn’t just how advanced the technology is, but the vision and intention behind it. Sports has always been grounded in real human stories that can translate to powerful entertainment IP, but bringing those stories to life hasn’t always been easy. PAI changes that. It gives us a more accessible way to create and build something with long-term value.”
Asani Swann added, “With this partnership, we see a clear opportunity to develop sports-driven ideas rooted in authentic storytelling into original entertainment properties at scale. With Utopai Studios, we’re combining technology, production expertise, and creative infrastructure to move those ideas seamlessly into film, television, streaming, and digital platforms - faster and with greater creative control.”
Cecilia Shen, co-founder and chief executive officer, Utopai Studios, said, “Carmelo and Asani immediately understood that this is bigger than using AI to make content faster. We are building a new studio system for the AI era, one that gives creators, athletes and talent a more direct path to develop original IP while preserving authorship, ownership and creative control. With Creative 7 and PAI, we can help turn powerful athlete-driven stories into entertainment properties built for film, television, streaming, animation and digital audiences.”
One of the first projects under the partnership will be an anime-inspired entertainment property based on Anthony’s career, personal perspective and basketball culture. The initial rollout is expected to include recurring short-form content and behind-the-scenes material documenting Anthony’s creative involvement.
The announcement follows Utopai Studios’ earlier collaboration with James Harden on an AI-animated short film and reflects the company’s growing focus on sports-driven entertainment IP.
Utopai Studios positions itself as an AI-native entertainment company integrating proprietary technology directly into studio production infrastructure. The company said its model combines traditional entertainment functions such as financing, production, talent and distribution with AI-enabled scalability and workflow efficiency.
