Studio Color, the Japan-based animation company behind the ‘Evangelion’ franchise, has been brought on board ‘Baahubali: Eternal War Part 1’ to produce animation sequences exclusive to the film.
SlowCurve, a Japanese production company that brought Studio Color to the project, will be in charge of planning and production coordination between the Japanese and overseas teams.
The director is Teru Honma, and the character design is Noriko Ito. Mahiro Maeda, whose credits include “Rebuild of Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time,” will also participate as a major creative contributor. Maeda is currently working as a staff member at Studio Color, which is headed by Hideaki Anno, the creator of Evangelion.
Baahubali: Eternal War Part 1 is a two-part animation set in the world of the Baahubali series. The film is produced by Shobu Yarlagadda, Prasad Devineni and SS Rajamouli through Hyderabad-based Arka Mediaworks. Director Ishan Shukla, known for “Star Wars: Visions” and the Indo-French film “Silcor: In Rise We Trust,” is directing both parts from a script by Scott Mosier. This story was conceived by Shukla and Sowmya Sharma.
Prabhas will reprise his role in the live-action film as the voice of Amarendra Baahubali, while Ramya Krishnan will also return as Sivagami. Oscar-winning composer MM Keeravani, who has composed music for ‘RRR’ and the original ‘Baahubali’ films, is composing the music for the project.
Set after the cliffhanger ending of Baahubali: The Beginning, the film follows the betrayed and killed Prince Amarendra Baahubali as he wanders into the afterlife, where he becomes embroiled in an ancient cosmic war between the Devas and Asuras. As he navigates the 14 realms of existence, he forges unlikely alliances and fights to restore balance to the universe.
The Baahubali films, Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali 2: The End, released worldwide from 2015 to 2018, directed by Rajamouli and produced by Yarlagadda and Devignini for Arka Mediaworks, were made on a combined budget of $70 million and grossed $370 million worldwide. The film was released in Telugu and Tamil, as well as several dubbed versions, and starred Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Ramya Krishnan, Anushka Shetty, and Tamannaah Bhatia. ‘Baahubali 2: The Conclusion’ itself is the third highest-grossing film in Indian film history after ‘Dangal’ and ‘Dhulandhar: The Revenge’.
Production spans India, France, England, and Japan. Additional production partners for the film include Mihira Visual Lab, a technology-first creative studio founded by Yarlagadda, Raja Koduri and Rajamouli. Aniventure; Zaratan Studio; and Alcide Studio. Part 1 has been selected for the Annecy Animation Festival’s Works in Progress section and will feature new footage. Shukla will appear on the Annecy panel along with art director Ajay Lele, co-screenwriter Soumya Sharma, animation director Antoine Charailon (Batwheels) and CG supervisor Simon Brown (Guardians of the Galaxy).
SlowCurve was founded in 2006 as an animation advertising and marketing company and pivoted to original production in 2016. The company has promoted over 300 titles and currently develops and produces animation projects for domestic and international markets.
Arca Media Works provided Variety with some in-progress artboard images of Baahubali: Eternal War.
Art board in progress for “Baahubali: Eternal War”
arca media works
Art board in progress for “Baahubali: Eternal War”
arca media works
Art board in progress for “Baahubali: Eternal War”
arca media works
