New Korean 3D Dinosaur Feature Debuts this Month, International Release to Follow Author: Kim Song-ho Source: Dream Search C&C Inc., EBS, Olive Studio Inc. Official Website: blog.naver.com/jumbagi2012
A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE
The production companies Dream Search C&C, Inc., EBS and Olive Studio, Inc. have jointly announced the release of SPECKLES THE TARBOSAURUS1 (???: ???? ?? 3D, Jumbagi: Hanbandoui gongryong 3D, literal translation "Speckles: Dinosaurs in the Korean Peninsula 3D"), which opens January 26, 2012 in Korea. SPECKLES THE TARBOSAURUS is a 3D, computer-animated feature based on KOREANOSAURUS (???? ??, Hanbandoui gongryong, Dinosaurs in the Korean Peninsula), a 2008 nature documentary that aired on the Korean TV channel EBS (Educational Broadcasting System). The title refers to an as-yet undescribed theropod dinosaur (thought to be similar to the well-known Velociraptor and Deinonychus) which lived in the Korean peninsula during the early Cretaceous. In 2010, a completely separate species of ornithopod dinosaur was officially named `Koreanosaurus boseongensis`. The original KOREANOSAURUS television documentary depicted the life of Speckles (Jumbagi in Korean), a fictional Tarbosaurus that lived in Korea in the Cretaceous period (about 70 million years ago). In addition to the Tarbosaurs, the documentary featured many kinds of dinosaurs such as Velociraptor, Therizinosaurus, Protoceratops, Haenamichnus, Tsintaosaurus, Microraptor and Pukyongosaurus. The creatures were fully computer-generated and composited against real-life backgrounds, mainly photographed in New Zealand. The three-part series (which concluded with a "making-of" special) first aired from November 24 to 26, 2008. It was very well-received by both the viewership and the press, and became the highest-rated EBS-produced documentary ever with a rating of 2.9% (a 1% rating is generally considered a success by EBS` standards). Since then, KOREANOSAURUS has been rebroadcast several times and spawned a wide variety of merchandising, including DVD and Blu-ray discs, children`s books, toys and so on.
SPECKLES THE TARBOSAURUS is a complete reworking of the original documentary, this time as a 3D computer-animated feature, but with a similar theme: the adventure of Speckles in a time when the twilight of the dinosaur era is slowly, but definitely, coming. In the movie, Speckles must protect his family, not only from One-eye (Aekunun in Korean), a violent, vengeful Tyrannosaurus, but also an impending disaster that could change the face of the planet. Han Sang-ho, the director of the original documentary, returned to helm SPECKLES THE TARBOSAURUS. The film`s visual effects were supervised by Min Byeong-cheon, the VFX whiz and director who made the 1999 Korean thriller PHANTOM THE SUBMARINE (??, Yuryeong), starring Choi Min-soo and Jeong Woo-seong, and the sci-fi adventure NATURAL CITY (??? ??, 2003). Min is a co-CEO of Olive Studio, one of the three production companies behind SPECKLES THE TARBOSAURUS. The film will be distributed in Korea by CJ Entertainment. International audiences will be able to see SPECKLES in the near future... during the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and the American Film Market the movie was pre-sold to 33 countries around the world, including the United States, Russia, Germany, Benelux and India. The North American theatrical, DVD/Blu-ray, digital, Video on Demand, and television rights for SPECKLES THE TARBOSAURUS have been acquired by distributor Well Go USA Entertainment.
Character Descriptions Speckles (Original Korean name: Jumbagi, ???) Born as the youngest male of a Tarbosaurus family, Speckles had a brother and twin sisters. However, his family was killed by One-eye, a savage Tyrannosaurus. Now fully grown up, Speckles must protect his new family, including his mate Blue Eyes and the juveniles, from One-eye`s attack and an impending disaster. Blue Eyes (Original Korean name: Pureunnun, ???) Blue Eyes is Speckles` mate. She first became a friend to Speckles when he lost his family and wandered lost and alone. They have now made a family of their own. Evading One-eye, she and her family go on a journey to find `paradise`. One-eye (Original Korean name: Aekunun, ???) One-eye is a savage, vengeful Tyrannosaurus. He lost his left eye in a battle with Speckles` mother long ago, and plans to take his revenge on Speckles and his family. One-eye is the main antagonist in the film.
Notes: 1. In earlier English language promotional materials, the film was entitled TARBOSAURUS and the main character was known as "Spotty". But a representative from Dream Search C&C recently announced that the official English title of the movie (and the lead character) is now SPECKLES THE TARBOSAURUS.?
For more information on SPECKLES THE TARBOSAURUS, please see the previous coverage here on SciFi Japan: