Saudi Arabian media company Manga Productions began streaming a teaser trailer on Sunday for an animation titled "The Woodcutter's Treasure," which it is producing in collaboration with Japanese animation company Toei Animation. "The Woodcutter's Treasure" will be a 25-minute animation based on Saudi Arabian folklore and aimed at children and families, and it will serve as a pilot for a planned television series.

The video is available in both Japanese and Arabic, as the animation will debut in both countries.

Manga Productions confirmed with ANN that it handled the conceptualization, story writing, pre-production, Arabic voice-over, and general supervision for the video, while Toei Animation handled the animation production and post-production.

Manga Productions also revealed that it has two upcoming projects with Toei Animation, a 13-episode television series and a 90-minute film. The company also reported meeting with anime studio Gainax to discuss animation projects in October.

Manga Productions is a subsidiary of the Prince Mohammed bin Salman Foundation, also known as MiSK, and named for reformist Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. The company aims to create animation, comic, and video game projects " to "promote Saudi ideas and messages internationally." MiSK signed a memorandum with Japan's Digital Hollywood University in October to train Saudi designers and programmers in creating animation and games.

Saudi Arabian media content company ARiNAT posted a three-minute trailer for an animated collaboration with GAINAX last year. The trailer is similarly available in both Japanese and Arabic, but ARiNAT's website is no longer active.

Source: Animation Business Journal (Tadashi Sudo)

Thanks to abdurahim alshuaibi for the news tip.