Mili Pictures Worldwide, a new Chinese animation company, has opened an office in Los Angeles run by producer Bill Borden, who worked on “High School Musical” and “Kung Fu Hustle.” The company, based in Shanghai, hopes to pair the lower costs of production in China with experienced animators from Hollywood mainstays like Disney, DreamWorks Animation, Pixar and Fox.
Though California and Japan are central hubs of animation production and consumption, the growth of the Chinese market has opened up a window for new companies. Mili will debut its first movie, “Dragon Nest,” at China’s biggest gaming convention in July. The movie is based on a popular online game used by six million users every day in Asia.