CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Monday, November 23, 2020 | 17 LIFE

Back from the caves, and beyond A sequel to the hit animated film, The Croods, about a family who lives in a fantastical equivalent of the Stone Age, is set to hit the silver screen, Xu Fan reports.

falling cinderblock the second installment, pitching a chopped off the ends of a joyful tone. couple of Joel Crawford’s Picking up from where the first toes when he was a child. film ends in the fictitious “Crooda­ HeA got a special cover to pad his ceous Age” — sort of like the Stone wounded toes a few years later Age, when primitive people wore fur when he ran track in high school. and lived in caves — the sequel This served as an inspiration for unfolds with a new challenge facing his upcoming feature­film directori­ the Croods family. As a fan of what al debut, The Croods: A New Age, Grug, the overprotective father, is which will open across the Chinese struggling with his favorite daugh­ Top: (Clockwise from top left) Sandy Crood (Kailey Crawford), Grug Crood (Nicolas Cage), Thunk Crood directors Kirk mainland on Nov 27. ter Eep’s yearning to leave the patri­ (Clark Duke), Gran (Cloris Leachman), Eep Crood (Emma Stone) and Ugga Crood (Catherine Keener) in Demicco and Chris The film’s protagonist — a fearless archal family with Guy, the nomadic DreamWorks Animation’s The Croods: A New Age, directed by Joel Crawford. and strong cave girl — shows her outsider who wins the girl’s heart in Above: A scene of the film features Eep Crood (left)and Dawn Betterman. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Sanders created and scars in one scene. She wears a pea­ the first movie. those characters they nut shell in place of her missing They face an unprecedented crisis pinky toe. when they encounter a new family The director also explains that he goofier and more fun, since much of English version. Voiceovers proved gifted us, I want to Major roles in the sequel of the who knows how to build tree houses took inspiration from hippie culture the story takes place in the new fam­ the biggest challenge during quar­ make all the fans feel 2013 global hit, The Croods, A New and plant fruit. to devise the new family’s man­bun ily’s paradise, behind a safe wall that antine. Age, are voiced by Chinese actors As a father of three — two daugh­ hairstyle. enables humans to domesticate “As we still had some to pick up, that their familiar Guo Jingfei, Lin Gengxin and Zheng ters ages 7 and 10, and a 12­year­old The film also features odd­yet­ wildlife, he explains. we were sending them microphones characters are back.” Kai. son — Crawford says he feels con­ adorable creatures that are mixes of Swift, the producer, recalls in and computer equipment,” Swift “The first Croods is a beloved nected to all the characters, who real animals and imagination. another interview that around 300 says. Joel Crawford, director project in the world,” Crawford says mirror some problems that exist in For instance, the new family rais­ animators worked on the sequel, “Some people even recorded in a in an online video interview with modern parenting and adolescent es domesticated “chicken seals” and with each staying on the project for closet because that was the quietest China Daily. education. “cow mammoths”, and drink “milk” a year on average. room in their house.” With Chinese cinemas perform­ “As a fan of what directors Kirk Speaking about Grug, who’s from fictional “land sharks” that “We said to the artists: ‘Go crazy. For Swift, who’s also known for ing somewhat lackluster in the Demicco and Chris Sanders creat­ voiced by Hollywood star Nicolas look like the actual sea creatures but Draw as many characters as you producing DreamWorks’ Captain wake of the post­National Day ed and those characters they gifted Cage, as a “burly, big man”, the live on land. want.’ Probably for every 15 charac­ Underpants: The First Epic Movie box­office bonanza due to a short­ us, I want to make all the fans feel director says the figure is not just as “Punch monkeys”, the animal ters that they design, we pick one. and Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most age of attractive blockbusters, the that their familiar characters are strong­willed as audiences believe tribe obsessed with bananas, will There are so many more that we just Wanted, the new film continues the film is likely to uplift the sluggish back.” but also reveals a tender and vulner­ also return in the sequel with their don’t have space in the movie to do,” enduring charm of animated works market. Crawford has worked on multiple able side while discovering his fami­ violent “language” of pummeling he says. that make us see ourselves in a fairy It has been listed as the second DreamWorks films, including the ly must change their rules to each other to communicate. Although COVID­19 affected pro­ tale­style story. most anticipated film, following Trolls, Shrek and the Kung Fu Panda accommodate his daughter’s love. Crawford says most creatures the duction, Swift says they were lucky “Look. It’s a fantastic world. But Zhang Yimou’s One Second, on the franchises. He was invited to helm “As a kid, I was very wild and very Croods came across in the first film to finish most of the job before the we’re really making a story that popular­review aggregator Douban. the Croods sequel around three hyper. So, it’s funny that I connect to served one of two purposes — to eat outbreak, with stars Cage, Emma could be told today, which is about a years ago and teamed up with veter­ Eep even more,” Crawford says, or be eaten by. Stone and Ryan Reynolds voicing family and all the things all families Contact the writer at an producer Mark Swift to develop laughing. But the sequel’s critters are cuter, the major characters in the original go through,” he says. [email protected] A traditional Tibetan dance makes moves through the ages

LHASA — Despite being a veteran is the pearl in the resplendent crown performer of the traditional Xianzi of art in Markham. dance, 58­year­old Tashi Wangdu “There is a folk belief that Xianzi had never until recently staged a per­ brings happiness that never ends,” formance in front of a big audience. says Changdren, noting that it can Xianzi is a kind of folk art that be performed anywhere and the combines song, dance and string number of dancers does not matter. music in the Tibet autonomous “Sometimes, people in Markham region that originated in the Tang would dance all day, passing the folk Dynasty (618­907). art on to younger generations.” As the first stop in Tibet along the The State Council listed Xianzi as ancient Tea Horse Road, Markham a form of national­level intangible county in the city of Chamdo boasts cultural heritage in 2006. rich and colorful folk culture due to To preserve the precious tradition, its unique geographical features folk artists in Markham have been and profound cultural heritage. teaching and performing it in schools. It was here where Tashi Wangdu A large crowd of Tibetans — men and women, young and old — The dance has also been adapted to joined some 3,000 other Xianzi gather to give a Xianzi performance on a large tract of grassland in gymnastic exercises in 30 primary dancers — men and women, young Markham county in the Tibet autonomous region’s Chamdo. and secondary schools in the county. and old. PHOTOS BY SUN FEI / XINHUA Several competitions have been Dressed in traditional Tibetan held over the past few years, Chang­ attire, they performed with sheer dren says. delight on the “stage” — a large tract kham refers to a place of goodness from his father and brother when he put his long hair in a ponytail. “I’ve been doing Xianzi for dec­ “We’re expecting more talented of grassland. They change forma­ and kindness,” says Tashi Wangdu, was 5 and now teaches his grandson Their performance lasted more ades, but this is the first time I’ve ever dance producers and performers to tions from time to time, sometimes adding that, since childhood, he and when he has time. than half an hour. Beads of sweat danced with so many people,” he says. improve the creativity and perform­ gathering in the center, sometimes his family would find an open space The veteran dancer arrived at the dotted Tashi Wangdu’s forehead, “Our traditional culture has made ing skills of Xianzi, thus promoting spreading out and sometimes hold­ to light a campfire and dance when grassland stage a day early to pre­ and he wiped them away with smile a comeback.” tourism and our excellent Tibetan ing hands in circles. celebrating holidays. pare. On performance day, he wore a lines appearing in the outer corners Changdren, deputy director of the culture,” he says. “In the Tibetan language, Mar­ Tashi Wangdu learned Xianzi brand­new Tibetan costume and of his eyes. county’s cultural bureau, says Xianzi XINHUA