In the last few years, the Chinese animation industry is growing larger than before with a greater degree of creative freedom and the ever increasing support from the government. No longer just a hotbed for outsourcing, the output from China has already begun to produce original content to attract the local market while attempting to compete with the dominating import market. Beijing-based animation studio Magic Dumpling is set to leave its mark not only at home turf but on the international stage with the CG animated film Road to Home and to improve its chances of appealing the worldwide audience, Magic's co-founder and former Disney CG supervisor Kevin Geiger will apply his years of experience on production management and creative consultation to good use. According to the production notes, it features "vividly appealing characters, compelling painterly landscapes, and urgent themes of co-existence and stewardship within a fragile environment".
In a world of conflict between humans and wolves, a young girl named Vivi, desperate for the approval of her village chief father, ultimately earns it through a friendship with the “enemy” – a wolf cub named Dumpling. Vivi’s ill-conceived mission to return the lost cub to its home of Snow Wolf Mountain places her in the midst of stunning landscapes and dangerous opponents. Together with a band of fellow misfits including Gugu & Lulu - a delusional pair of kung fu fighting sheep, a shy beast of burden named Yaki, and his hedgehog “girlfriend” Cottonball, Vivi finds something much more important than the approval of others. Vivi finds herself… on the “Road to Home”.
While China is no where near the level of recognition and success as US or Japan on a global scale but anytime they want to promote homegrown production and aspire to climb new heights, I'm all for it. Time will tell if this will raise some eyebrows in the animation world. Road to Home is currently in pre-production with production beginning in the fall and post-production finishing in the summer of 2011. The release date is on Chinese National Day (October 1st). You'll find the developmental teaser below after the break.