Toonz Media Group has secured an animated feature project titled A Banquet for the Hungry Ghosts, a horror anthology that integrates Chinese cuisine, folklore, and supernatural elements. The 90-minute film will be presented for international presales at the upcoming American Film Market (AFM) 2025, marking a significant addition to Toonz’s global content slate. The anticipated global premiere is scheduled for 2027.

A Banquet for the Hungry Ghosts is produced by Singapore-based Robot Playground Media and is an adaptation of the acclaimed book by author Ying Chang Compestine. Singaporean filmmaker and studio co-founder Ervin Han is attached as director and producer.

The feature consists of four distinct yet interconnected tales, each inspired by an iconic Chinese dish. A spectral Chef presiding over an enigmatic, otherworldly restaurant links the narratives. The film is described as blending the macabre, poetic, and playful to deliver a chilling cinematic experience that examines universal themes of human frailty, ancestral guilt, and greed.

The production leverages the creative strengths of top animation talents from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Taiwan, uniting them under the creative leadership of Robot Playground Media. This collaboration is intended to deepen the film’s authentic Asian artistic texture while enhancing its resonance with international audiences.

Ervin Han, the film’s creator, stated, “A Banquet for the Hungry Ghosts takes the global appetite for horror and gives it an unmistakably Asian taste—four stories, one haunting experience, and a franchise that’s just beginning.”

P. Jayakumar, CEO of Toonz Media Group, emphasized the project’s cultural significance. “Asian stories should travel the world,” he said. “We have a rich culture and a deep tradition of storytelling… As the world becomes more cosmopolitan and interest grows in understanding diverse traditions, this film will be a real treat, not just for animation lovers, but for fans of horror, thrillers, and cinema in general.”

Toonz Media Group’s strategic objective is to create a genre-defining animated feature that successfully balances authentic cultural roots with global storytelling sensibilities, targeting both Eastern and Western markets through its fusion of culinary symbolism, supernatural horror, and high-concept animation.

Toonz Media Group is a 360-degree media powerhouse with over two decades of experience, recognized as one of the world’s most active animation production studios, generating over 10,000 minutes of 2D and CGI content annually. The group has produced numerous animated and live-action series and feature films and is actively exploring emerging technologies, including AR, VR, and Gaming.

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