A poster of "Mr. Black: Green Star." (Photo/China.org.cn)
A famous cartoon character in China from generations of childhood memories will see its revival in August, the Shanghai Animation Film Studio announced at the 18th Shanghai International Film Festival.
"Mr. Black: Green Star," a new film adaptation of "Black Cat Detective," a Chinese animation television series produced by the Shanghai Animation Film Studio, will hit Chinese screens on August 7.
Shanghai Animation Film Studio said "Mr. Black: Green Star" will not be remade in 3D but will be made in its original classic hand-paint style. The studio said they feel pressure not using 3D formatting during the 3D era of film industry, but they said 3D is not appropriate for underage kids to enjoy and they refuse to follow the trend for money.
They also believe continuing to use the original style will help people of all ages uncover a love for Chinese traditional artistic style and nostalgia in childhood memories of the classic cartoon.
The "Black Cat Detective" series was originally aired from 1984 to 1987 and became a popular household name. But critics bemoaned the series' violence and lack of suitability for children's education. It only aired five episodes and ended the fifth episode with "to be continued," but the next episode never came, until now, nearly three decades later.
Qian Jianping, the president of Shanghai Animation Film Studio, said the film adaptation will be fully upgraded with adding new storyline and characters. Qian promised they have treated the reboot very seriously and this animation feature "will not ruin generations' memories."
Director Yu Shengjun added they will still maintain some classic dialogue lines in it along with creating new classic scenes and dialogue lines to catch up with time.
Shanghai Animation Film Studio, founded in April 1957 in Shanghai is one of the oldest animation studios in China and has produced almost 500 films with over 40,000 minutes of original animation data source. They cover 80 percent of domestic animation production in China including "Little Tadpoles Looking for Mama," "The Conceited General," and "Uproar in Heaven." In recent years, it has started a series of projects to rejuvenate its production including "Uproar in Heaven 3D" in 2011.
