While we have seen a previous animated version of the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry novel, The Little Prince, this new film looks to bring new technology, which in turn means new animation techniques to the classic story. The Little Prince is a classic book growing up for families and the film will blend 2D “expressive” watercolor styles with 3D “realistic” oil painting aesthetics to provide a new take on the story. We are very excited to see the animation in action and hope to get a glimpse of a trailer at some point soon, and we also hope that this movie will bring some new The Little Prince toys to the table as well.
New Animated “The Little Prince” Adaptation in the Works
Stars Collective officially announced today a strategic partnership with El Pajaro Pictures Shanghai Co., Ltd. to jointly develop, produce, and distribute a new animated film adaptation of “The Little Prince.” The globally envisioned project aims to breathe new life into the timeless classic through a perfect fusion of innovative technology and artistic expression.
A Timeless Classic, Reimagined
As a masterpiece by French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, “The Little Prince” has been cherished worldwide since its publication in 1943. Translated into more than 300 languages and selling over 200 million copies globally, it has become a shared cultural treasure for humanity. The 2015 animated adaptation of “The Little Prince” captivated audiences worldwide with its unique artistic style and deeply moving storytelling, achieving a remarkable global box office of $97 million, including an impressive ¥158 million in China.
A Groundbreaking Creative Vision
This new adaptation will focus on Saint-Exupéry’s legendary life between 1940 and 1944. Employing groundbreaking hybrid animation techniques, it will seamlessly blend 2D “expressive” watercolor styles with 3D “realistic” oil painting aesthetics to convey the heart of the story. This bold artistic endeavor, crafted by a top-tier animation team, promises audiences an immersive visual experience. The 2D animation will poetically depict The Little Prince’s whimsical world, while the 3D animation will vividly recreate the author’s real-life experiences through meticulous realistic rendering.
International Support
POMASE, the official managing body of Saint-Exupéry’s legacy, has fully authorized and supported this project. POMASE President Olivier d’Agay stated: “The family of Antoine de Saint Exupéry has been thinking for a long time to a Chinese animated movie adapted from the original story “The Little Prince” in regards to the success of the book in China. We have selected El Pajaro as our Chinese partner for this project because we are confident in their ability to fully respect the work of our uncle. I personally share the same view of what should be the content of this movie with its director Mr. Li Jihong who is also the successful translator of the book in mandarin published 12 years ago and sold by millions. I totally trust his perfect understanding of the book’s messages and his incredible knowledge of my uncle’s life. We hope the final result will please the Chinese families and all the fans of Le Petit Prince.”
As the licensing agent for this project, Ms. Noletta Chiu, Executive Director of Medialink Animation International Limited, stated: “Medialink’s connection with Mr. Li Jihong began with the simplified Chinese edition of ‘The Little Prince.’ We have always resonated with ‘The Little Prince’s’ message of love and exploring the meaning of life. I am deeply grateful to Mr. Li Jihong for transforming ‘The Little Prince’ from a piece of flat text into a three-dimensional animated film. Through this Chinese-language movie, we can together share the philosophy of ‘The Little Prince’ with audiences across Asia.”
The film’s director and official translator of “The Little Prince” into Chinese, Mr. Li Jihong, remarked: “’The Little Prince’ is a long-lasting beloved fable about the purpose of human life and the true meaning of love. People around the world wrote me numerous emails to share their thoughts and love for the story after reading my translation in Chinese, which has been sold more than 6 million copies since it was published in 2013. But more often than not, people know little about the legend of the author, Antoine de Sanit-Exupéry, who is born an autocrat, a self-made pioneering pilot, and one of the greatest novelists. The new animation movie will tell the entangling and intriguing story of the author and his masterpiece. I’m honored to have the support from Stars Collective, which makes more sense if we are aware of the fact that Saint- Exupéry wrote the work in New York during World War II. We can safely say that The Little Prince is an American story, so it’s great to get Stars Collective, a Hollywood powerhouse, involved.”
Integrating Global Resources for Innovation
As the project’s principal investor and global distributor, Stars Collective will integrate top global resources to achieve technological and commercial breakthroughs. Peter Luo, Founder of Stars Collective, said: “By introducing cutting-edge AI technology and innovative animation aesthetics, we are committed to presenting audiences with an unprecedented visual spectacle. This collaboration will not only expand ‘The Little Prince’s’ global influence but also open new possibilities for the convergence of culture and technology.”
With strong support from the Saint-Exupéry Foundation and The Little Prince Foundation, the project is currently in full production.
Stars Collective has been aggressive over the last 12months closing rights deals to build its movie slate. The company recently optioned the film rights to the critically acclaimed non-fiction book “Fortune Sons: The 120 Chinese Boys Who Came to America, Went to School, and Revolutionized an Ancient Civilization”, and is developing and producing a movie adaptation alongside Academy Award® winner Donna Gigliotti (“Silver Linings Playbook,” “Hidden Figures,” “Shakespeare in Love,” “The Reader”).
Stars Collective also recently optioned film and TV rights of USA Today best-selling author Shawn M. Warner’s mystery/fiction/ghost story “Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons – Pierce Manor.” The mega popular book is a #1 Amazon Charts Bestseller and one of the top ranked books in the world with millions of fans who have also made it a TikTok phenomenon garnering millions of views.
Stars Collective optioned the life rights of Chef Pam (Pichaya Soontornyanakij), the renowned Thai-Chinese-Australian chef and the owner of POTONG, a Progressive Thai-Chinese fine-dining Michelin-star restaurant in Bangkok’s Chinatown. Her remarkable journey includes being the first Thai female winner of the 2011 Asia Youth Hope Cooking at 21 and is the first ever and youngest Thai Female Chef to receive both Michelin Star and “Opening of the Year” awards from the Michelin Guide in the same year (2023) before being crowned Asia’s Best Female Chef 2024 by World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Most recently, Stars Collective entered a strategic partnership with DNEG, winner of 7 Academy Awards®, 7 BAFTA Awards, and 22 Visual Effects Society Awards, to collaborate on the development, production, and operation of immersive experience projects in China.
About Stars Collective
Founded in 2020 by Peter Luo, Stars Collective is a dynamic initiative committed to diversity, innovation, and empowerment and to pushing the boundaries of storytelling through the integration of breakthrough technologies. The company exists to promote the next generation of diverse voices and creative storytellers.
Stars Collective has pioneered a unique business model that deeply binds globally renowned directors and producers for joint original IP development. The company has deals with dozens of top directors and producers as mentors and also established cooperation agreements with hundreds of outstanding global directors and producers, as well as nearly a hundred well-known international artists.
Through Stars Collective, filmmakers and artists are afforded the opportunity to develop content with the guidance of industry luminaries such as directors Sam Raimi, John M. Chu and Alan Taylor, actor Xiaoming Huang, and producers Donna Gigliotti, Gianni Nunnari, Chris Lee, Sanping Han, Paula Wagner, Patrick Wachsberger, Eric Heumann, Liming Ke, Rob Minkoff and Anthony McCarren.
By combining the art of filmmaking with the power of emerging technologies, Stars Collective seeks to captivate audiences with immersive and transformative storytelling experiences. Leading the revolution is its flagship incubator program, which currently supports over 200 emerging filmmakers and artists from diverse backgrounds, connecting them to industry-leading mentors and unparalleled resources to maximize their artistic potential.
At the inaugural Stars Summit in Los Angeles, Stars Collective, Hana Investment (China) and Starlight Media confirmed their partnership on the first projects emanating from the ambitious Stars-Hana $300 million fund established to invest in a number of verticals including film & TV, comics, games, collectibles, consumer goods, artificial intelligence and advanced entertainment technologies.
The three companies recently revealed the first details of the slate which will include new film franchises as well as video games adapted from major movies from some of the industries top filmmakers like James Wan, Sam Raimi and Roy Lee, creating an extended and expansive IP universe.
The Stars-Hana fund is partnering with leading game companies including Tencent and Tencent-owned DreamSky Technology, as well as HYJZ, Forevernine, and other globally renowned gaming companies with hundreds of millions of users, to concurrently develop a series of video games. This ambitious slate includes adaptations of upcoming films and IP that include “The Garfield Movie”; “Every House is Haunted” from Sam Raimi and Roy Lee; “The Burden” from James Wan and Sam Raimi; “Hunting Season” from James Wan and Don Murphy; James Wan’s “The Call of Cthulhu,” “Mass Extinction” and “GMO”; “The Godfather” with Jon Chu; and “Memory Lost in Space,” based on the bestsellers by Tong Hua.
Stars Collective is a producer on all of the aforementioned films with the exception of “Garfield.” Stars Collective holds a 25-year exclusive picture-related merchandising license in the Greater China region for “The Garfield Movie” encompassing all categories except theme park and stage rights.
Stars Collective and Hana Management are also tapping into their fund to concurrently develop three new original film franchises under Stars Collective, all of which will be gamified. These are the “Genius Crime” franchise, a “Kung Fu” universe, and a new horror franchise featuring female ghost stories inspired by Asian folklore and legends. Popular Thai actress Kitty Chicha stars in the first installment of the folklore franchise.
Overall, the goal of Stars Collective, Hana Investment and Starlight Media is to establish global franchises encompassing movies, games, and merchandising, providing consumers with more engaging and accessible high-quality products.
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