The personal project of Matt Braly, creator of Amphibia, was canceled by Sony Pictures Animation, but its concept art went viral and generated massive support. Now, The Monk Studios, based in Bangkok, has acquired the film titled Afterworld: กลับบ้าน, which means returning home in Thai. The studio plans to seek investors at the Annecy Festival, although the project has not yet been greenlit nor fully funded.
Animation and funding in search of partners 🎬
The Monk Studios is a Thai studio known for its work in 3D animation and visual effects. For Afterworld, they will use a hybrid pipeline that combines traditional techniques with digital tools like Unreal Engine and Maya. The team plans to present a teaser at Annecy to attract investors, but the total budget and timeline have not yet been defined. Production will depend on co-production agreements and international development funds, a common model in the Asian industry.
From cancellation to rebirth with pad thai 🍜
It seems karma has smiled on Matt Braly: his project canceled by a major studio now rises again in a country where the national dish is pad thai. The curious thing is that the film, which deals with a Thai community, will be produced by Thais. A masterstroke of fate, or perhaps a sign that Sony should review its list of priorities. Meanwhile, fans are already campaigning for the studio's logo to include a tuk-tuk.