Thru the Moebius Strip, the most-expensive animated
film ever made in China which features more than 400 artists from
eight countries, will hit screens in China Friday.
The 16.25-million-US-dollar animation, about a resourceful boy's
adventure, is thoroughly western in terms of visual style, content
and characterisation, Teresa Cao, assistant to the general manager
of the Institute of Digital Media Technology (Shenzhen) Limited
(IDMT), the movie's producer, told Xinhua Thursday.
"We spent five years making the three-dimensional film," Cao
said, adding that many famous foreign artists appear in the credit
list, including director Glenn Chaika (Mulan 2), animation
supervisor Kelvin Lee (City of Angels and Stuart
Little) and Bob Koch (Toy Story 2 and A Bug's
Life).
The film was inspired by Frenchman Jean Moebius Giraud,
who is widely acknowledged as one of the major influences in the
visual arts field for his contributions to Alien, The
Abyss and The Fifth Element.
"We will deliver more than 100 copies nationwide and expect to
earn over 10 million yuan (US$1.25 million) at the box office on
the Chinese mainland," Cao said.
Overseas distribution rights for the movie have been sold to
more than 10 countries. Merchandising products such as illustration
albums, novels, clothes, accessories and toys will go on sale
later, she said.
The film was made in English with Chinese as second language, a
first for China-made films.
After peaking in the 1960-70s, China's animation industry was
overwhelmed by Japanese and American rivals. Thru the Moebius
Strip is another attempt to climb up the rankings following
Lotus Lantern (1999), The Butterfly Lovers (2003)
and Little Soldier of Zhangga (2005).
(Xinhua News Agency August 4, 2006)
