International action-comedy film-star Jackie Chan unveiled All New Jackie Chan Adventures, a 3D animated series, in Beijing, China. Revolving around Chinese morality and culture, it is China’s first international standard high budget animation production.
The 104-episode cartoon series will debut later this year and bring the adventures and comedy that are popular in Jackie’s films into a cartoon context. It will also star child actor Kyana Poppy Downs as the main character’s trusted partner and classmate.
The new $6 million series will feature the epic adventures of a cartoon version of Jackie Chan, but designed to appeal the young Chinese audience, following the success of the American animated TV series, Jackie Chan Adventures, which was an international hit in the early 2000s.
The premise centers on a team of protagonists guarding against monsters who threaten the ‘dreamlands’ – so that every child can have sweet dreams at night.
The previous hit series, Jackie Chan Adventures, which aired from 2000 to 2005 on Kids WB set off a craze among audiences in 60 countries. The team plans to go global again by rolling out All New Jackie Chan Adventures to international markets. International co-operation has so far been agreed with Mondo TV, Bomanbridge, Rainbow, Shemaroo and MBC Group.
The series has been created following detailed research into the cultural nuances of how to engage young Chinese minds. It promotes positive values for the young audiences, with storylines embodying Chinese etiquette and traditional virtues, teaching good habits and discipline, principles which are said to mirror Jackie Chan’s own beliefs and practices.
“With young children increasingly searching for new role models to look up, it is imperative that celebrities in China use their influence to help shape the values of today’s young Chinese children and indeed people in general,” said Jackie Chan. “This new cartoon series is not limited to the TV screen. In many ways, it will be children’s companion as they grow up.”
An intellectual property-based multi-channel model is planned for All New Jackie Chan Adventures that will also extend its influence beyond the TV series to be featured in videogames, in product franchising, stage plays, books, and in theme parks.
