MUMBAI: Chandigarh based animation outsourcing company Compact Disc India (CDI) is planning to float a 100 per cent wholly-owned subsidiary called Media One, in the UK at an investment of $50 million. Media One will handle the company’s global motion and animated film projects.
Recently Compact Disc India signed a $20.15 million deal with Hollywood production company Motion Pixel Corporation for co-producing a 90-minute 3D animation film called GoaaaaaL! based on Brazilian soccer star Ronaldo.
The company, which is into producing, distributing and financing films and television serials including animation, recently also acquired the UK-based mobile gaming company Mobsoft for $2 million.
Apart from the animation movie on Ronaldo, Compact Disc India will also be producing a $ 16 miilion film based on the life of Osho Rajneesh called Guru of Sex. Academy award winner Ben Kingsley is likely to play the lead role in the film, which will be released during the second half of 2008 or early 2009.
Guru of Sex is a depiction of the sacred and the not so sacred activities inside a cult ashram. The film is written by London based writer, columnist and former Commissioning Editor of Channel 4 TV, Farrukh Dhondy.
Apart from GoaaaaaL!, CDI is also working on another animation films with Singapore-based Interactive Creative Media Pte. Ltd called Hustle Bustle. The budget of the film, which is about two clumsy boys who rose to be superstars of this world, is $12.45 million. Hustle Bustle is a comedy animation film schedule to be released by the end of 2008.
Additionally, iMedia Ventures Ltd has given the animation pre-production, production and post-production development work to CDI for developing a 90 minutes, 3D animation, family oriented feature film called If Tomorrow Never Dies. Director Singeetham Srinivasa Rao will be directing this movie and Rang De Basanti writer Kamlesh Pandey will be penning the story, screenplay and dialogue. The budget of the film is $ 8.50 million and is scheduled to release during the second half of 2008.
The company’s 3D animation Hindi feature film called Friends Forever, which involves interaction between live actors and an animated character ‘Zampano’ stars Ashmit Patel, Hrishitaa Bhatt and Shweta Kunoor. The film has an unusual theme of having a CG animated character along with live action sequences and is directed by Soumitra Ranade. The animation content has been developed at Chennai. The animation content has been supervised by V.R.S. Sundararajan and music was given by Anand Raj Anand. The film is slated for a release in July this year and has been made on a budget of $ 1.28 million. Eros International, UK has bought the worldwide rights of Friends Forever.
Related story:
CDI & Motion Pixel ink animation deal
