Kinepolis is hosting screenings of the “Molang” event across Europe

Photo credit: Kinepolis

The renowned French animation studio Millimages has adapted its extremely popular episodic and short film series “Molang” into a 58-minute feature film, which the leading European distributor Kinepolis will show in over 40 cinemas in France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg from September 1st.

Molang at the Movies is an hour-long re-edit of individual Molang short films aimed at preschoolers and their families. The series follows a lovable cartoon character with a big heart and a great sense of responsibility for those around him. Created as a simple doodle by Korean illustrator Hye Ji Yoon in 2010, the character Molang has since inspired an animation empire that includes six television series broadcast in over 190 countries, 30 billion views on Giphy, more than 8 million social media followers, a viral YouTube channel, and 18 international licensing deals.

While the TV and internet credentials of Molang are undeniable, converting it into a cinema product brings practical challenges that would be multiplied by a wider release. Kinepolis recently hosted successful event releases for the animated series Peppa Pig and The Smurfs, and the Molang series presented an opportunity to do something special.

“Event Cinema has experienced significant growth in recent years and offers flexibility in terms of release and marketing,” said Steven Clerima, Head of Kinepolis International Event Cinema diversity. “Content owners and rights holders love working with us because we are passionate about their work and put it at the forefront of our events. Every release is an inspiring and innovative collaboration: we understand our audience and they understand their show.”

In the run-up to the film’s debut, Kinepolis and Millimages will launch a comprehensive promotional campaign, including previews in Lille, Brussels, Madrid and Utrecht, with exclusive merchandise for every cinema-goer and teaser campaigns in cinemas throughout the summer. And of course, the film will be promoted on Molang’s social media profiles.

According to Mathilde Bayle, Head of Communications, Brand Image and Marketing at Millimages, the Molang franchise is well-positioned for success in a new medium. Since producing an original film takes time, Kinepolis’ limited event release offered a unique opportunity to leverage the assets already produced by Millimages and test theatrical distribution for the property.

“‘Molang’ has already conquered the small screens via social media and the medium screens via television, so it seemed time to attack the big screen as well,” she explained. “We are in the development phase for a ‘Molang’ feature film, but making great films takes time, so in the meantime we really wanted to try a different way to get our audiences into the cinema.

“Kinépolis is the perfect partner for this collaboration. They have extensive experience in creating cinema events for families, as they recently did with ‘Peppa Pig’ and ‘The Smurfs’,” she continued. “With avant-garde premieres across Europe, supported by our marketing efforts, we believe attendance will increase.”

For Clerima, “Molang” was the ideal follow-up to the special releases on “Peppa Pig” and “The Smurfs”: “‘Molang’ is an outstanding show that enjoys a good reputation in the world of animation and it has everything to delight our audiences across Europe: delightful and emotional characters, excellent music and storytelling, and a unique visual and atmosphere.”

“From a practical perspective, we were looking for content that could be easily localized for different countries, and the dialogue-free, universal appeal of ‘Molang’ is a perfect fit,” he added.

The Millimages team also sees a creative advantage in the lack of dialogue. According to Bayle, “One of the most remarkable things about ‘Molang’ is that there is no dialogue. Yet audiences can find recurring themes and messages throughout the show’s six seasons. When we put together this exclusive 58-minute compilation, we developed a storyline around those themes and created brand new content from it while using existing material.”

A major theme of the series is “Molang’s” respect for his environment and the others who share it. “The film shows Molang caring for his surroundings in many ways and showing unwavering kindness, whether it’s towards animals, plants, aliens, friends or neighbors,” Bayle said. “It conveys a message of empathy that we really wanted to convey, and also an ecological one: ‘The Molang Way’ means protecting all living things one step at a time, doing your part and leading by example.”

For Kinepolis, “Molang” will not be the last animated film to receive special cinematic treatment, and the art form plays an integral role in its exhibition plans.

“Animation fits seamlessly with the cinema experience, as the big screen is the ideal platform to showcase its vibrant and dynamic images,” Clerima explained. “There is a large and ever-growing fan base for animated content, which now includes various sub-genres for different age groups, including preschoolers, children, teens and adults. We offer each of these viewers not just a screening, but a collective, emotionally charged experience that goes beyond the film itself.”