Animating the ancients

Some of the most-celebrated artifacts on show at the Sanxingdui Museum, which has authorized their use in the movie, include a bronze mask with protruding eyes, a nearly 4-meter-high bronze tree, a jade tiger and a golden scepter.

"The many cultural relics and artifacts collected at the museum showcase exquisite craftsmanship, making them a treasure trove of great academic and archaeological significance. We hope that the movie will promote Sanxingdui culture to a broad international audience," says Zhang, who's also chairman of Sichuan Golden Image Cultural Communication Co.

In addition, some of the monsters in the movie, including a formidable tiger with white fur and a pair of wings, have been inspired by descriptions found in Shan Hai Jing (The Classic of Mountains and Seas), a collection of Chinese mythology believed to have been written more than 2,000 years ago.

Zhang recalls there were sometimes cultural differences with their Canadian colleagues when discussing the designs of the characters.

For instance, one of the five golden-mask warriors is a young man named Zhu Long, who can transform into any of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. However, due to his fear of heights, the creature he is most reluctant to transform into is the dragon.