Some of Chinese people's favorite animated characters, like "Avanti" and the "Gourd Brothers," will soon be presented as live stage shows at Beijing's China Puppet Theatre.
The shows are the latest collaboration between the theatre and Shanghai Film Group. "Mr.Black", a five-episode cartoon featuring a black cat detective, will be the first character to become live.
China Puppet Theatre will start a public bidding process to find appropriate directors for the shows. And producers aim to have "Mr.Black" meet the public by the end of this year, followed next year by "Avanti" and "Gourd Brothers." From October, audiences can refresh their memories at the theatre by watching over 500 animated films produced by Shanghai Animation Film Studios over the previous 50 years.
Along with the live shows, other merchandise like toys and books will be developed to extend the value of those popular cartoon characters.