Oriental DreamWorks has elevated Peilin Chou to Chief Creative Officer, where she will be in charge of the animation studio’s overall creative direction and overseeing all of its animated feature films, the company announced Tuesday.
In addition, Oriental DreamWorks unveiled several films on its slate in addition to the previously announced “Everest,” directed by Tim Johnson and Todd Wilderman and produced by Suzanne Buirgy.
The other films, which are designed to appeal to the global market — with a particular focus on China — include:
“Over the Moon,” a modern-day retelling of a classic Chinese myth, written by Audrey Wells (“A Dog’s Purpose,” “George of the Jungle”) and executive produced by Janet Yang “Joy Luck Club,” “People vs. Larry Flynt”)
“Untitled Chinatown Product,” an intergenerational comic adventure that delves into the supernatural, conceived and produced by “Master of None” co-creator and Emmy winner Alan Yang.
“The Monkey King,” an epic story about a Chinese mythological figure who appears in numerous legends, written by Ron Friedman and Steve Bencich (“Brother Bear,” “Chicken Little”).
“Illumikitty,” an irreverent comedy focused on a cat-centric plot for world domination, written by Jenny Bicks (“Rio 2,” “Sex and the City”).
“Lucky,” an animated buddy comedy that touches on Chinese superstition and the battle between good and bad luck, currently being written by Rita Hsiao (“Mulan,” “Toy Story 2”).
Chou, who moves up from her current role as head of creative, is a former executive at Spike TV and Disney with more than 20 years of industry experience in film, TV and theater. She will split her time between Shanghai and New York. Oriental DreamWorks is a joint venture backed by China’s CMC Capital Partners, Shanghai Media Group, Shanghai Alliance Investment Limited and Hollywood studio DreamWorks Animation SKG.
“We are very excited that Peilin Chou is taking on this role as we expand our slate and commit to bringing audiences worldwide the highest quality in animated entertainment,” Li Ruigang, Chairman of Oriental DreamWorks and Chairman and CEO of CMC Capital Partners, said in a statement. “I know she will make a tremendous contribution to Oriental DreamWorks. Peilin’s extensive experience in creating successful global content, and her cultural connection and passion for China, make her uniquely qualified to lead the global mission of Oriental DreamWorks. As a well-loved industry veteran with deep relationships, Peilin is attracting a wealth of world class talent to our studio, which I know will greatly enrich all of our films and projects.”
“On behalf of the Oriental DreamWorks management team, I’m elated that Peilin Chou will be expanding her creative leadership in a greater capacity for Oriental DreamWorks,” Frank Zhu, CEO of Oriental DreamWorks, said in the statement. “Since Peilin joined Oriental DreamWorks in September, 2015, she has brought an exceptional vision to all of the company’s creative efforts. Under her leadership, she has already created and fostered a strong development slate of projects, an exciting upcoming pipeline of films and a remarkable development team. I believe her talent, experience and passion make her an invaluable executive and I am thrilled she will be leading our charge of delivering the very best in family entertainment to China and the rest of the world.”