Latest news with #EjenAliTheMovie
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: RM40.6mil in 13 days: 'Ejen Ali' sequel is highest-grossing local animated film
KUALA LUMPUR: Popular local animated film 'Ejen Ali The Movie 2' (EATM2) has achieved a remarkable box office collection of RM40.6 million, making it the country's highest-grossing animated film to date. Produced by Primeworks Studios and Wau Animation, EATM2 has surpassed the previous record holder, Mechamato Movie, which garnered RM35.9 million at the box office in 2022. In a statement yesterday, the film's director, Usamah Zaid Yasin, attributed this success to the enduring appeal of local animated movies among viewers. "EATM2 builds upon the legacy of 'Ejen Ali The Movie' on a grander scale, establishing itself as a must-see for the entire family," he said. "Our production team extends its gratitude to over 2.5 million viewers for their unwavering support. "This triumph is not just ours, but a victory for the entire local animation industry. Thank you, Malaysia, for believing in our own stories." Media Prima Television Networks and Primeworks Studios chief executive officer, Nini Yusof, commented, "With this momentum, EATM2 continues to pave the way for local animated films to penetrate the international market." EATM2 follows 12-year-old superspy Ejen Ali as he confronts a phantom menace named Ciro, utilising more advanced espionage technology than ever before. Ali becomes the pilot for a high-stakes mission within Satria, an elite programme powered by an AI-assisted mecha suit. The mission takes a darker turn when the mysterious hacker Neonimus resurfaces, driven by a personal vendetta against Ali. Compared to the 2019 original, 'Ejen Ali The Movie', this sequel boasts more explosive action and a deeper, more immersive narrative.
New Straits Times
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Futuristic adventures of a brave, 'unloved' boy hero
MALAYSIA'S animated superkid Ejen Ali is back for another explosive science-fiction adventure on the silver screen. And while he is still 12 years old, he now looks a little stronger and taller, thanks to the harsh training that he undergoes in order to be a superspy. Everyone's favourite battle-hardened boy wonder of the future has embraced espionage technology that is more advanced and faces a most formidable foe whose actual form he is not sure of. Welcome to 'Ejen Ali The Movie 2' (EATM2), which once again sees the "unloved" youngster take on a phantom menace by the name of Ciro. As compared with 'Ejen Ali The Movie' in 2019, this sequel has more explosive action and a deeper, more immersive narrative experience. Enhanced physical appearances too, as viewers get to see Ali's more muscular frame and sharper face, as well as the lines on the faces of the older characters. Once again set in the futuristic city of Cyberaya, EATM2 sees Ali become the pilot for a high-stakes mission under Satria, an elite programme powered by an AI-assisted mecha suit. The mission takes a darker turn when the renegade Ejen Rizwan enlists Ali's help to uncover the true mastermind behind escalating threats in Cyberaya. Meanwhile, the mysterious hacker Neonimus resurfaces, driven by a personal vendetta against Ali. As Neonimus weaves a dangerous web of deception, every choice Ali makes becomes critical, determining not only his fate but the future of the city. Ali's Satria Project is aimed at producing a new generation of Mata agents who are able to combine the skills of all four Mata Cores, namely Techno, Neuro, Inviso and Kombat. Satria is a dynamic armoured suit equipped with combat pattern data from Mata's greatest agents and can be modified using ferrofluid technology to form special weapons according to mission needs. Ali's best friend Ejen Alicia has now been given a new role as the Iris user. Both of them are made to team up once again to confront Neonimus, who reveals that he is working for the insidious and mysterious Ciro, the deadliest enemy of Cyberaya to date. As for Rizwan, he is now teaming up with one-time baddies Dos and Trez to fight Mata's leadership for the sake of old grudges. Meanwhile, Mata's leadership is also facing a crisis, as the head of Cyberaya Datuk Othman has brought in Ejen Amir and Ejen Elle to work with the more senior Ejen Dayang and Ejen Ganz, and they don't see eye to eye. This opens up the opportunity for Ciro to penetrate Mata. Viewers might need to read up a little about Ejen Ali's characters and his animated TV series which has been on the small screen for almost a decade now to follow this movie effectively. This is because, the appearance of one-time regular Mata agents such as Rizwan and General Rama as renegades might not make sense unless one is aware of the developments that took place in the series' now-concluded Season 3. Nevertheless, if one has not been following the series, EATM2 can still be enjoyed on its own as its computer-generated special effects are world class. This is evident in the design of Iris and especially Satria, and when Ali and Alicia enter Satria to battle Ciro, the programme readily transforms them into upgraded versions of themselves. A lot of this echoes Disney's iconic science-fiction adventure in a computer, 'Tron', and its less-known sequel 'Tron Legacy', but EATM2's computer graphics are actually more crisper and clearer. While EATM2's scientific magic is a marvel to look at, its storytelling is loaded with emotions and one can really feel what the boy hero feels. Yes, our hero is brave, strong, fast and competent, but his world seems to be endlessly sad and threatened by unfortunate events. For a 12-year-old Ali lives a pretty harsh life, often barked at by his superiors with the notable exception of the motherly Ejen Dayang. He may have buddies like Alicia, Viktor and Sasi who share his love of video games, but in school he is often tormented by a fearsome teacher named Cikgu Munah. Nevertheless, viewers do find her rather cute and, in one scene, she even helps Ali batle evil Ciro! Perhaps, Ali's creators want to show kids that working life can be pretty cruel and unforgiving, and all of the "bashings" we get turn ordinary men into supermen. The friendship between Ali and Alicia, two cutesy but formidable teen agents, is interesting and comparable with that of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger in JK Rowling's famous novel series. Their dynamic combination as team mates gradually evolved from competitive frenemies into something more meaningful. As for the high-level politicking in Mata, it does reflect the real world too. As director Usamah once said, a large organisation like Mata cannot have everyone on the same page, and different groups within the organisation are bound to have different agendas. All this helps make Ali's world colourful and believable, thatwhich was exactly what Hogwarts was in the Harry Potter novels. Ejen Ali may look like a children's animated adventure on the surface, but its stories contain lots of deep and "adult" plots. NOW SHOWING EJEN ALI THE MOVIE 2 DIRECTOR Usamah Zaid Yasin
New Straits Times
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: 'Ejen Ali' back with bigger suit, bigger battles
ANIMATED superkid Ejen Ali is back for another science-fiction adventure. Looking stronger and more mature, the country's battle-hardened boy wonder has embraced espionage technology and faces a foe whose true identity remains a mystery. Released on May 22, Ejen Ali The Movie 2 (EATM2) was launched at GSC IOI City Mall in Sepang, Selangor. The launch was led by Wau Animation chief executive officer Usamah Zain Yasin and Media Prima Television Networks and Primeworks Studios chief executive officer Nini Yusof. 3D Nini said that EATM2 marked another milestone in Malaysian animation and reintroduced audiences to the boy agent and his 3D adventures. "EATM2 has more explosive action and a deeper, more immersive narrative experience. "Since its debut on TV3 in 2016, Ejen Ali has grown into an internationally recognised IP, reaching over 65 countries. "In 2019, 'Ejen Ali The Movie' earned over RM30 million across cinemas and digital platforms." TECHNOLOGY Nini added that with new technology, returning fan-favourite characters and enriched world-building, the sequel will continue to spark massive online engagement. "This franchise has transcended domestic entertainment and become a testament to Malaysian creativity." Usamah, who is also director of EATM2, said: "The journey to bring EATM2 to life has been long and filled with dedication. "Fans have been eagerly awaiting this sequel since it was first announced, long before the pandemic. "We hope this film delivers the excitement they have been anticipating for so many years." IMPACT Usamah said that music played a pivotal role in deepening the emotional impact of EATM2, with a soundtrack that underscores the film's powerful moments. "Fans can look forward to 'Hanya Kamu' by Datuk M. Nasir, 'Teman Sejati' by Indonesian band Nidji and 'Penjuara' by Hael Husaini. "Each track carries its own emotional weight, infusing the storyline with a musical identity that mirrors the characters' journeys." ELITE In the futuristic city of Cyberaya, EATM2 sees Ali become the pilot for a high-stakes mission under Satria, an elite programme powered by an AI-assisted mecha suit. The mission takes a darker turn when the renegade Ejen Rizwan enlists Ali's help to uncover the mastermind behind escalating threats in Cyberaya. Meanwhile, mysterious hacker Neonimus resurfaces, driven by a vendetta against Ali. As Neonimus weaves a web of deception, every choice Ali makes becomes critical, determining not only his fate but the future of the city. GENERATION Usamah said: "Ali's Satria Project is aimed at producing a new generation of Mata agents who can combine the skills of all four Mata Cores: Techno, Neuro, Inviso and Kombat. "Satria is an armoured suit equipped with combat pattern data from Mata's greatest agents. It can be modified using ferrofluid technology to form weapons according to mission needs." USER Usamah added that Ali's best friend Ejen Alicia, has been given a new role as the Iris user. "Both team up once again to confront Neonimus, who reveals that he is working for the insidious and mysterious Ciro, the deadliest enemy of Cyberaya." As for Rizwan, he is teaming up with one-time baddies Dos and Trez to fight Mata's leadership for the sake of old grudges. "Mata's leadership is also facing a crisis, as the head of Cyberaya, Datuk Othman, has brought in Ejen Amir and Ejen Elle to work with the more senior Ejen Dayang and Ejen Ganz. However, the two teams don't see eye to eye. "This opens up an opportunity for Ciro to penetrate Mata," said Usamah. BLESSING Usamah said that getting Nasir on board for EATM2 was a blessing, as he is one of the country's foremost musicians. "He also chose to voice one of the surprise characters, as his family members love Ejen Ali," he said. EATM2 took two years to produce, largely because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and everything was done domestically. The movie is jointly presented by Primeworks, Wau and Komet Productions.
New Straits Times
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: 'Ejen Ali The Movie 2' doing great at the box office
KUALA LUMPUR: The new animated movie Ejen Ali The Movie 2 (EATM2) is "doing great" at the box office, according to its director, Usamah Zaid Yasin. Usamah, who is the chief executive officer of Wau Animation, told Harian Metro that many viewers have rated the science-fiction adventure, which premiered in cinemas last Thursday, 9 out of 10. "On behalf of Wau Animation, I'd like to thank all fans of Ejen Ali for your endless support. It's most encouraging to hear that most viewers have given it 9 out of 10, and have been thoroughly entertained," Usamah said. He added that viewers have also provided feedback on how the story could be improved. Usamah also extended his gratitude to cinemas nationwide for helping to organise meet-and-greet events for Ejen Ali fans. EATM2 is a joint presentation by Wau, Primeworks Studios, and Komet Productions. They are targeting a box office collection of RM60 million. The first film, Ejen Ali The Movie (EATM), released in 2019, collected RM30 million at the box office.
New Straits Times
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Kool 101 launches major push for new Ejen Ali adventure
KUALA LUMPUR: Popular Malay-language radio station Kool 101 is currently going all out to promote the animated science-fiction movie, Ejen Ali The Movie 2, through its "Kool 101 X Ejen Ali Studio Takeover" campaign. At the station in Balai Berita Bangsar, here today, Kool 101 radio announcer Haiza played host to the movie's director and Wau Animation's chief executive officer, Usamah Zaid Yasin. Also present were Ida Rahayu Yusoff, the voice talent behind the boy hero, and acclaimed composer, singer, and musician Datuk M. Nasir, who performed the movie's theme song, 'Hanya Kamu'. Usamah, Ida, and Nasir were accompanied by mascots of Ejen Ali and his best friend Ejen Alicia during their visit to the station. Haiza explained that the station's campaign aims to support locally-made content that brings families together. "Throughout this campaign, Kool 101 will be the official Home Of Ejen Ali for all things related to promoting Ejen Ali The Movie 2," she said. "For this reason, we have given our studio a complete transformation with visuals, colours, backdrops, and screen displays that promote Ejen Ali." She added that the campaign also promotes family-oriented entertainment, with radio serving as a suitable medium to raise awareness of the new movie. Usamah shared that the early screening of Ejen Ali The Movie 2 last night received a great response from cinema-goers nationwide. "Many people came and they gave us good feedback. While the movie picks up where season three of the Ejen Ali TV series ended, fans can easily follow Ejen Ali and his new adventures with his state-of-the-art weapons and devices." Usamah also noted that fans praised the new movie for its superior production values, special effects, and storytelling, which were "a lot more advanced" than Ejen Ali The Movie in 2019. "We are optimistic that our target box office collection of RM60 million can be met, despite stiff competition from Hollywood action movie Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning and another homegrown superhero, Keluang Man The Movie, beginning soon," he said, adding that Wau hopes to screen Ejen Ali The Movie 2 in Indonesia later. He also expressed honour in having Nasir participate in the new movie, not only by singing the official soundtrack but also by voicing one of the characters for the first time. "Datuk Nasir told us that his family loves Ejen Ali and they have praised its state-of-the-art special effects. With him on board, Ejen Ali The Movie 2 has been given a significant boost." Usamah added that Wau's partnership with Kool 101 has been instrumental in promoting the movie, given the station's popularity amongst listeners.
