China-based Pearl Studio is collaborating with Sony Pictures ImageWorks on a new animated movie for Netflix, Over the Moon.
The film is based on the famous Chinese myth about Chang’e (嫦娥), the moon goddess who, in the movie’s chosen retelling, drank an elixir which left her separate from and waiting for her true love on the moon. To prove the existence of Chang’e, the movie’s main character builds a rocket ship. Chang’e is also the namesake of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP) in real life.
Pearl Studio — formerly known as Oriental DreamWorks — was founded in 2012 as a Chinese-American joint venture by DreamWorks Animation and various Chinese investors including China Media Capital (CMC), Shanghai Media Group, and Shanghai Alliance Investment. It aims to produce Chinese or Chinese-themed animated and live-action content.
Oriental DreamWorks’ 2016 film Kung-Fu Panda 3 was the first official US-Chinese animated co-production. In 2018, a group of investors lead by CMC took full ownership of the company and renamed it Pearl Studio.
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For Over the Moon, Pearl Studio’s creative head Chou Peilin is working with Oscar-winners Glen Keane, John Kahrs, and Gennie Rim. The all-star team is paired with a combination of famous Chinese and American voice actors (including Sandra Oh and John Cho), designers, and musicians including designer Guo Pei and Oscar-winning composer Steven Price.
The internet is understandably excited about the movie. The trailer, released Tuesday, already has 250,000 views on YouTube, and on Weibo the clip has been viewed more than 1.2 million times. The comments on Weibo are filled with excitement, with one user saying “When have Oriental DreamWorks’ films ever disappointed me? Looking forward…”
The film is set for release in the autumn of 2020.
