Kids
Walt Disney to bring Panda for Chinese kids
MUMBAI: The Walt Disney Studios, together with Chinese filmmakers Castle Hero Pictures and Ying Dong Media, have joined forces to create a movie tentatively titled Touch of the Panda. The film, shot at Sichuan in China, features giant pandas.Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures China helped develop the project during the pre production and filming stages creatively with Castle Hero Pictures and Ying Dong Media, and will handle marketing and distribution around the world.
The film revolves around a panda cub separated from his mother and eventually rescued by a young orphaned boy. As the boy struggles to protect the cub from people he believes would hurt it, the two form a strong bond even as the boy realizes that the best thing he can ever do for the cub is to help him find its way home.
Child actor Daichi Harashima portrays the boy in the film directed by Yu Zhong.
The project began production around the Chinese New Year and recently completed principal photography. It is now in post production and will be released theatrically in 2009. The film represents a follow up for the Walt Disney Studios in China after The Magic Gourd which was released in 2007.
Kids
Mukta Arts and Green Gold ink MOU to animate iconic film IPs
Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan to spawn animated shows plus features.
MUMBAI: When classic hindi movie meets animation, the result is a fresh reel of nostalgia with a cartoon twist. Mukta Arts Ltd. and Green Gold Animation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on animated shows and feature films drawn from Mukta Arts’ four-decade treasure trove of iconic IPs. The partnership taps Mukta’s SGM Animation Studio launched in 2025 as its dedicated animation and games arm and Green Gold’s proven track record in building scalable, homegrown franchises. Creative teams from both sides have already kicked off discussions, with the first project currently in development.
The slate will draw inspiration from landmark Mukta films including Kalicharan, Karz, Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan, Khalnayak, Saudagar and Iqbal, plus character-led spin-offs from those universes. The aim is to reimagine these stories for today’s young, global audiences while preserving their emotional core.
Green Gold Animation (home of Chhota Bheem) founder and CEO Rajiv Chilaka said, “This partnership with SGM Studios allows us to apply our experience in building long-lasting animation IPs to a truly iconic film catalogue. Together, we aim to create animated worlds that are rooted in these legendary stories, yet designed to connect with today’s young, global audiences.”
Mukta Arts Ltd. filmmaker and founder Subhash Ghai added, “Mukta Arts has always believed in creating stories with lasting emotional value. Through animation, we are extending our IP into a new medium for the next generation.”
In an industry where timeless tales never go out of fashion, this collaboration promises to bring beloved characters back to life with a modern, animated glow proving that some stories are too good to stay in live-action. Stay tuned for the first animated frame to drop.
