The company of legendary United States film director George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars saga, on Thursday launched an animation studio in Singapore to produce television shows and feature films for the global market.
Lucasfilm Animation Singapore, financially backed by the Singapore government to boost the island’s multimedia industry, will take part in the development of a TV spin-off from Star Wars.
”We’re very excited about the opening of the new studio,” Lucas said in a press statement issued at the launch of the high-tech studio in a business park near Singapore’s Changi airport.
”Our first series — a TV adventure titled Clone Wars, based on the time between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith — is already in active development and we hope to see it on the air in 2007.”
The Singapore studio will also be involved in an upcoming feature film, but company officials declined to give any hint of what it will be about.
”The possibilities are endless,” the studio’s general manager, Christian Kubsch, told journalists.
The Singapore operation is 75% owned by Lucasfilm, with the rest of the equity held by two Singapore partners — digital entertainment products maker Creative Technology and EDB Investments.
The latter is an arm of the Economic Development Board (EDB), Singapore’s foreign-investment promotion agency.
Company officials refused to disclose how much money was invested to set up the 3 715-square-metre animation facility, which will initially have 35 staff but can host up to 300 employees
They said Singapore was chosen because of its strong protection of intellectual property rights, attractive lifestyle and potential for drawing digital animation talent from all over the world.
Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore’s Second Minister of Trade and Industry, said at the launch that the studio ”is a huge boost for our growing digital animation industry”.
”I am honoured that Lucasfilm’s first overseas venture is taking place on our home turf,” he said, adding that Singapore will seek to attract specialised schools for digital arts and animation to support the industry. — Sapa-AFP