Following the box office success of the animated feature "Ne Zha," Coloroom Pictures, Enlight Media's startup animation subsidiary is ready to showcase other animated productions to put Chinese animated films on the map. The next film to debut is "Mr. Miao," a darkside adult-animated movie directed by Li Lingxiao and written by Bu Sifan.

"Compared with 'Ne Zha,' the experimental and edgy 'Mr. Miao' was difficult to make, and it looks for an audience who can understand and appreciate it," said Yi Qiao, CEO of Coloroom Pictures. "Mr. Miao" will hit Chinese theaters on the last day of the year, Dec. 31.

A premiere was held for "Mr. Miao" on Sunday, provoking discussions between creators and audiences, including other fellow directors Lu Yang, Zhou Shen, and Li Wei. They talked about how to interpret and comprehend the film's themes and values.

Yi said that as they support "Mr. Miao," they will also allow Chinese new animation directors the chance to experiment with their creative visions and attitudes. "We have to train and nurture up-and-coming directors to become masters of their art. Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki is great, but Satoshi Kon is just as great even though he is not as well-known," Yi said. 

She added that the box office returns do not matter for "Mr. Miao." As long as Coloroom Pictures is profitable, they can still support new directors. 

The predecessor of "Mr. Miao," Bu Sifan's "Dahufa" has a similar style and dark theme exploring human nature. "Dahufa," the first Chinese film to set its content rating at PG-13, only made 87.6 million yuan ($12.49 million) at the Chinese box office in 2017; nevertheless, it received critical acclaim. 

2019 is a fruitful year for Coloroom Pictures, a subsidiary of Beijing-based studio Enlight Media. "Ne Zha" grossed 4.97 billion yuan ($695 million) in China and was selected by Chinese film authorities to compete against 92 films from other countries and regions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. The company also had successful imports of two Japanese animated features: the re-release of "Spirited Away" (2001) by Hayao Miyazaki and the new release of "Weathering with You" by Makoto Shinkai.

In 2020, Coloroom will present the much-anticipated "Legend of Deification" on Jan. 25, 2020, during the furiously competitive but hugely profitable Spring Festival season. The animated feature tells the legend of Jiang Ziya, a mythological figure sharing the same god universe as "Ne Zha." "Legend of Deification" is based on the tale of a genius strategist from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) novel "Fengshen Yanyi," or "The Investiture of the Gods," the same book that inspired "Ne Zha."

Coloroom Pictures was founded by Enlight Media in 2015, investing in 13 animation studios across China. It aims to become a Chinese animation powerhouse on a par with Disney's Pixar Animation Studios.

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