Iran has started cooperating with China to produce a long feature animated film ‘Superhero’ set to be released in 2019.
“After reaching an agreement with the Documentary and Experimental Film Center (DEFC) on the initial investment for ‘Superhero’, we had to think of more funding due to high production costs,” Mehr News Agency quoted producer Mohammadreza Abolhassani as saying.
On the sidelines of the Silk Road International Film Festival, held in China in September, a joint production contract to produce the animation was signed with a Chinese company.
Based on the agreement, the film will be made by Iranian cartoonist and animation director Bahram Azimi with a $15 million budget. Starting in 2016, the project will take four years to complete.
Due to its large population, China is considered a huge market and most countries count on the Chinese cinema market as a major source of earnings for their movie releases. “Screening an Iranian animation in China will be seen as a big success for Iran’s animation industry,” Abolhassani said.
“Another advantage of co-production with China is that in addition to the animation’s screening in two countries, we can count on its publicity for premiering it in other countries as well,” he noted.
‘Superhero’ will showcase the talent and capabilities of Iran cinema to the world and its possible success will encourage the global audience for more joint productions with Iran,” he added.
The story is a narration of both Iranian and Chinese superheroes.
Abolhassani has already produced the long feature animation ‘Tehran 2121’ as well as some short animated TV series.
