Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba has come on board to support the Chinese release of Russian animated feature Sheep and Wolves.
Produced by Moscow-based Wizart Animation and CTB, Sheep and Wolves was picked up for China release by Flame Node Entertainment and is headed for theatrical distribution from this summer.
Now, Flame Node has managed to get on board Alibaba Group, a leading Chinese e-commerce company, as a merchandising partner. The film has already been sold theatrically to Italy (Barter Entertainment), Spain (European Dreams Factory) and Portugal (Lanterna de Pedra Filmes), among others, and has already been released in Russia, the Baltics, Romania, Mongolia and Turkey. Apart from China, it is due to roll out in another 40 countries during the summer and fall.
The film features the story of a magical land where a flock of sheep faces the end of care-free days when a pack of wolves move to a nearby ravine. The plot revolves around the story of a wolf who is transformed into a sheep after drinking a magic potion.
“China is one of the key territories for us. We are delighted to work with a market expert like Alibaba. Flame Node and Alibaba together will bring the powerful performances of Sheep and Wolves to as wide an audience as possible,” said Wizart producer, Yuri Moskvin.
Alibaba Pictures Group, the movie arm of Alibaba, has been keen on investing in the film genre in order to upscale its business. Recently, it announced its plans to invest $155 million in China’s second largest cinema operator. The Chinese deal, with local partner Flame Node Entertainment, has come into effect after the successful last year release of the first installment of Snow Queen.
