Aardman director Will Becher said “Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom” could reach Chinese cinemas in October, speaking at a panel discussion at the Shanghai International Film Festival, where he is serving as chair of the animation jury alongside Indian filmmaker Gitanjali Rao and Chinese animator Yu Shui.
Becher, who co-directed “A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon” with Richard Phelan, also revealed during the conversation that he is developing a feature film blending live-action and animation in equal measure, with financing currently being sought. He estimated production would take approximately two years once funding is secured.
“In the studio, we’ve just finished making a new ‘Shaun’ movie,” Becher said, referring to “The Beast of Mossy Bottom.” “It’s a Halloween-themed movie with a hairy monster.”
Rao, whose debut feature “Bombay Rose” opened Critics’ Week at the Venice Film Festival in 2019, said she too is in the fundraising phase for her next film, a hybrid live-action and animation project. The director noted that the Indian animation industry remains structurally disadvantaged compared with the country’s commercial film sector, with independent animators routinely forced to seek international co-production partners – primarily in France – to finance original work.
