KUALA LUMPUR: "Mila," a book penned by author Maslina Yusoff, will soon be turned into an animated TV series by leading South Korean studio, H Culture.
Maslina, a Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Shah Alam alumni, said that it has always been her dream to write and illustrate children's books, and that her own daughter inspired the story.
"I'm really excited to see Mila come to life through the TV series, and I'm humbled that my character has garnered attention from an international studio. I believe it will be well-received by everyone and I hope it will go far," said the Johor Baru native.
Mila, a book of nine instalments, which is in Amazon’s list of top 50 books, follows the adventures of the eponymous character – a little girl with curly hair, just like Maslina's own daughter.
The animated series is expected to expand Mila's character and her world, and Maslina is set to be the scriptwriter and will supervise the characters' development.
H Culture President and animation director, Sukhwa Hong, said that he fell in love with the character of Mila, as she is unique and heart-warming.
"The character will resonate well with audiences. No doubt, producing a high-quality animation series will take time, but I believe with a great team and passion, we will have a great story to tell," he said.
The animation series is set to debut in Sept and currently, a two-minute trailer is being produced to pitch it to potential buyers in France, the United Kingdom and Poland – all of which have expressed interest in the series, which targets kids from the ages of three to nine.
"The development (of the entire series) will take two years, and will be in English for the international market. In addition to developing the animation, H Culture will also be the sole agency to market the series globally," said Hong.
Mila was first published in China, and was translated and published in Malaysia by Fazamas Books and Buku Prima, as well as Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. -- BERNAMA