Clementine Feature Set Up in Turkey

Wednesday, May 23, 2007
By: Ryan Ball

Daily Variety reports from Cannes that Medyavision in Turkey is developing a feature film based on the popular 1985 French animated series Clementine. Featuring visual effects by Rhythm & Hues, the live-action, English-language film will be budgeted at between $80 million and $100 million, making it the most expensive Turkish production ever.

The Clementine series centers on a young girl who was paralyzed in a plane crash and travels the world with her parents in search of a cure for her malady. In her dreams, she is able to walk and goes to far-away lands with her flying pet cat, Hélice. Along the way, she meets famous characters from fiction and battles the demon Malmoth with the help of a guardian angel. The 39-episode arc will be condensed into one movie, which Medyavision execs say will play like Pan's Labyrinth or His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass.

Medyavision is also developing an English-language remake of its Dongel karhanesi, a Turkish hit comedy about a brothel that is taken over by the government. Sister company MCD, which localizes TV networks for the Turkish market, launched Nickelodeon Turkey in 2005 and MTV Turkey in 2006. The unit will next debut Sony Entertainment TV Turkey and Comedy Central Turkey.

Reader Comments

There are no reader comments for this article.