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Legendary animator Glen Keane will direct the animated feature Over the Moon through the newly launched Pearl Studio as a world premiere for Netflix.
Keane — a Disney mainstay who trained under Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men — was lead animator on classic characters including Ariel in The Little Mermaid and Beast in Beauty and the Beast, as well as the title characters in Pocahontas, Aladdin and Tarzan. Keane most recently directed the Academy Award-nominated animated short film Dear Basketball, written and narrated by Kobe Bryant.
Over the Moon, a modern-day retelling of a Chinese myth, is described as a musical adventure about a girl who builds a rocket ship and blasts off to the moon in hopes of meeting a legendary Moon Goddess. “I am powerfully drawn to characters who believe the impossible is possible,” Keane said Tuesday in a statement. “Over the Moon has just such a heroine as its centerpiece.”
The film is written by Audrey Wells (Under the Tuscan Sun), produced by Gennie Rim (Dear Basketball) and executive produced by Janet Yang. Songs will be penned by Christopher Curtis, Marjorie Duffield and Helen Park.
Over the Moon is slated for a 2020 debut, which will include a theatrical release in China.
Last week, CMC Capital Partners, previously known as China Media Capital, took full ownership of Oriental DreamWorks and relaunched it as Pearl Studio. Pearl is also working on the fall 2019-scheduled Everest, which will be released through Universal outside of China.
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