Indian animation house Krayon Pictures and China’s Heshan Media will co-produce animated feature “Beijing Safari”. The film is a sequel to Krayon’s 2012 release “Delhi Safari” that featured a group of animals who march to India’s capital to demand answers of parliament about the destruction of their forest. The sequel will focus on water contamination.
Tab Murphy, Oscar nominee for “Gorillas in the Mist”, will write the film and Daniel St Pierre, who has credits on “The Lion King” and “Aladdin,” will direct.
The English-language film is being produced under the India-China co-production agreement and will therefore get domestic status in both countries. Investors are from India and China and the budget is currently $20 million, Krayon co-founder Kishor Patil told Variety.
Krayon is in discussions to bring on board a Hollywood voice cast, akin to “Delhi”’s Cary Elwes, Christopher Lloyd, Jason Alexander and Vanessa Williams. The film is likely to go into production in October. “We have spent a lot of time in getting the story right and we intend to spend time in getting the characters and the animatics right,” said Patil.
International distribution plans include tying up with a U.S. studio. Applied Arts Productions distributed “Delhi Safari” in North America.