KUALA LUMPUR: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali attended a special screening of the blockbuster animated film ‘Ejen Ali The Movie’ at the Pavilion shopping mall here tonight.
The prime minister and his wife arrived at 8.25pm before proceeding to Hall 6 of the Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) theatre for the screening.
Also present were Media Prima Bhd (MPB) Group Chairman Datuk Syed Hussian Al-Junid; MPB Group Managing Director Datuk Kamal Khalid; New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd Interim Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of News and Editorial Operations Mustapha Kamil Mohd Janor; as well as Media Prima TV Networks CEO Johan Ishak.
The guests were also given a briefing by the movie’s director and co-writer Usamah Zaid Yasin, who is also Chief Executive Officer of Wau Animation.
Usamah shared his experience with guests, saying that he never knew there was so much work behind the cartoons and animations he watched as a child.
The former student of Multimedia University said up until he was doing his third year final project, he had no clue that animation could be made into a career.
"Even my father wondered what was I going to do after graduating but now he knows how far it can take one in a career.
“Malaysia’s standard is on par with international animation works produced. Malaysia has arrived in animation, Tun," he said, thanking the prime minister for the latter’s Multimedia Super Corridor initiatives which had spearheaded the technological push which made this possible.
‘Ejen Ali The Movie’, a co-production between MPB’s Primeworks Studios and Wau Animation, has already amassed RM13 million at the box office one week into its release.
It also currently holds the top spot for the highest-grossing opening day for a local animated film.
The film follows teenage agent spy Ali as he has to uncover a mystery that threatens the city of Cyberjaya and risking loyalty to his secret agency MATA.
The movie was released simultaneously in three countries – Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei – on Nov 28, to widespread commercial and critical acclaim.