RIYADH: A Saudi digital animation studio has signed a deal to have its new film “The Journey” distributed around the world.
Manga Productions, an affiliated company of the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (Misk) Foundation, penned the agreement with Fox Networks Group for the Middle East and North Africa (FNG MENA) and the Japanese T-Joy Co. during the 17th Berlin Film Festival.
The animated flick, thought to be the first Saudi movie to be shown in 4DX (a 4-D film format), is set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May.
The historical fantasy tells the story of the ancient civilizations of the Arab Peninsula and the Middle East and has been jointly produced by Manga Productions and the Japanese Toei Animation Co.
Directed by Shizuno Kobun, known for his lead on the “Detective Conan” and “Godzilla” movies, the film has involved a production team of more than 300 people working in both Riyadh and Tokyo.
“The movie showcases the ability of Saudi talents to cooperate with international partners and produce a local creative content of the highest quality and export the Saudi culture and creativity to international markets,” said Dr. Essam Bukhari, CEO of Manga Productions.
“It is a very important step for the company as it seeks to achieve international leadership in the targeted creative content industry, contribute to the establishment of the Saudi and Arab creative content industry, and above all, inspire future generations and their heroes,” he added.
Shinji Shimizu, a member of Toei’s board of directors, said: “The cooperation in the production of an animated film about the history of the Arab Peninsula is a huge honor and a great responsibility. The region is rich in various cultures, lifestyles and customs.
“The cooperation between Toei’s Japanese professional animation artists and young and talented Saudi artists is a source of pride. The movie will be distributed in Japan through Toei Animation and shown at T-Joy cinemas.”
Vox Cinemas’ chief content officer, Toni Al-Massih, pointed out that the film was the first of its kind in telling a Middle Eastern story using the Japanese style of animation. “It is a new experience that the audience has never seen before.”
Manga Productions, as part of its efforts to empower the Kingdom’s talents and invest in their abilities, is training a number of Saudis at Toei Animation’s studios in cooperation with the Misk Initiatives Center.
The company has been showing its first series “Myths of the Past” every Friday on MBC1 and the Shahid platform since January, scoring more than 12 million views and 50 million reaches on social media during its first two episodes.
