SINGAPORE – Leading Japanese animation company Madhouse Inc has teamed with Singapore media giant MediaCorp to bring to the big screen a full-length, 3D anime feature, Yona Yona Penguin.

The animation film will be directed by leading anime guru Rintaro, whose works include Metropolis, Galaxy Express 999, Harmagedon as well as Astro Boy, the movie.

Produced on a budget of US$13 million, Yona Yona Penguin will be presented in two original versions: Japanese and French with English subtitles.

Speaking at the contract signing ceremony in Singapore on Monday, Lucas Chow, CEO MediaCorp said, "As an investor in the film, we see this as a first step to a potential long-term collaboration with Madhouse, one of the most reputable animation companies in Japan."

He added that apart from being an investor in the project, Mediacorp will be distributing the film in Singapore and Malaysia, and will use its multiple platforms to publicise the film, so as to bring it to as wide an audience as possible.

Speaking later to the media, Mr Chow went on to say, "animation is an important area for MediaCorp to go into because we see it as a great opportunity to enhance our production value and also open up new markets."

Whether the collaboration is the hint of better things to come from MediaCorp, Mr Chow said "there is suitable environment and conditions for this kind of digital media to flourish" especially with Madhouse Inc being part of Index, a Japanese mobile content company with a gaming and entertainment arm.

It took just a few months for MediaCorp and Madhouse Inc to team up. "We had the right alignment in terms of overall objective and right kind of chemistry," said Mr Chow who flew to Japan for talks after learning about Yona Yona Penguin and the creative genius behind it - Rintaro.

The Japanese animator with more than 40 years of exprerience, including a number of years working with the "father of anime" Osamu Tezuka, described his latest project as an aesthetic fusion of technology with the sensibility and expertise of 2D animation.

"This exciting blend will be presented as a new style of 3D animation never seen before," said Rintaro.

Although a little concerned at trading pencil and paper for PCs to create anime, Rintaro is clearly excited at the project which he later told journalists "has a large portion of my heart".

Yona Yona Penguin is about the adventures of three characters - a six-year-old girl, a goblin and a newbie angel - who learn about friendship despite being from different worlds.

The original story, created by Rintaro, is targeted for worldwide release in the middle of 2009. - CNA/sf