Imagine a giant bug-infested world covered in poison mist. In this world, humans live in secluded areas where the mist is cannot hurt them. However, there is one person who can traverse the mist... who also happens to carry a super long sword. He's the star of the Chinese Wolf Smoke Animation studio's newest project.
The small team of Wolf Smoke came to international prominence last year when Warner Bros. commissioned a Batman short from them. Shanghai-based Wolf Smoke were more than happy to run wild with Batman. They delivered a dark knight in Shanghai during the 1930's. Take a look, I've attached the video above.
Chinese animation is on the up and up. I keep saying it, and so does China. Wolf Smoke's latest project, Woo Yin, is a prime of example of studios looking to create great original work in China. But that's not to say that Wolf Smoke's other works aren't original.
Wolf Smoke's co-founder, Clover Xie, says that they have been working on new and interesting stories since they started the studio. Clover says one of the reasons they were chosen by Warner Bros. to do Batman of Shanghai was because WB liked one of their original works, Kung Fu Cooking Girls.
Clover says that their latest project, Woo Yin, blends martial arts fantasy with Chinese ethnic minority flavours. The main setting of the new project will be a fantasy version of China's Yunnan province. The main character of the story will be akin to a fantasy taoist healer who fights zombies, monsters, and of course, the indigenous giant bugs of the mist-infested world. Clover says the story will be complete in about three years' time.
The studio also releases short films, with an output of at least one a year.
Clover says that currently, the studio wants to focus on their own original projects. The idea, she says, is to make sure their work is of the highest caliber and quality.
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Eric is Beijing based writer and all around FAT man. You can contact him @FatAsianTechie@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @FatAsianTechie.