Indian animation powerhouse Green Gold Animation, the studio behind popular children’s franchise “Chhota Bheem,” and U.K.-based Red Kite Animation have partnered on “The Assassin,” an adult-oriented animated feature that marks a significant India-U.K. co-production venture.
The project was unveiled at the WAVES Film Bazaar, the market component of the International Film Festival of India, Goa, by Rajiv Chilaka, founder and CEO of Green Gold Animation, and Ken Anderson, founder and CEO of Red Kite Animation.
“The Assassin” is written and directed by Martyn Pick, whose previous directing credit includes the CGI action-animation feature “Ultramarines: A Warhammer 40,000 Movie” (2010). Martha MacDiarmid, known for her work on “Nessie Junior,” serves as script editor, continuing her creative collaboration with Red Kite.
The film is set in a fractured near-future metropolis and follows an ordinary young man pushed to breaking point after a devastating industrial tragedy. As corporate power tightens its grip on the city, his search for justice drives him into a dangerous transformation, igniting events that challenge the system from within.
“‘The Assassin’ is an ultra cinematic action film that uses bold 21c century visuals to give the audience a visceral experience of the hero’s physical and psychological journey. For me it is the culmination of a career fusing animation and live action for maximum expressive power. within the dynamic power of genre and commercial storytelling. Red Kite have superb insight, both commercial and creative, about animation and film both as storytelling and as a visual medium. Green Gold combine outstanding artistic skill and understanding with a powerful pipeline. They are the perfect partners to realise the Assassin’s extraordinary vision,” Pick said.
Visual development is being led by Pick in collaboration with Green Gold’s Hyderabad-based design team, whose concept art and mood exploration establish the stylistic foundation for the ambitious animated feature.
The partnership represents a creative departure for Green Gold Animation, which has built its reputation primarily on family-friendly content, most notably the “Chhota Bheem” franchise. The collaboration signals the studio’s expansion into adult-oriented animation and global co-production partnerships.
The film aims to qualify under the India-U.K. Co-Production Treaty, with production planned across Hyderabad and the U.K. The financing strategy includes the U.K.’s Independent Film Tax Credit, with both studios participating as equitable partners throughout development, production and distribution.
“This partnership represents a powerful alignment of ambition and creative energy,” Anderson said. “‘The Assassin’ pushes into bold new territory for adult animation, and collaborating with Rajiv and the outstanding artists at Green Gold gives the film an expansive visual identity from the very beginning.”
Chilaka added: “Green Gold has always championed original ideas and distinctive visual storytelling. Working with Red Kite on this India-U.K. feature strengthens our commitment to global collaboration and to creating boundary-pushing animated cinema.”
The project combines guerrilla live-action, rotoscoping and high-end animation techniques. The film is currently in active development, with financing and production planning underway.
variety.com
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