(Yicai Global) July 3 -- A wildlife documentary film about a herd of Asian elephants that made an incredible 1,000 kilometer journey through southwestern China over an 18 month period will be released in Imax theaters globally next year.

The Elephant Odyssey offers an entirely new story on humanity’s relationship with elephants and a unique perspective on 16 wild Asian elephants that left their habitat in Yunnan province’s Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve in March 2020 to embark on a remarkable journey.

“The 18-month journey of the Yunnan elephants at the height of the pandemic was a hopeful antidote to the lockdowns many of us were enduring,” said John Turner, head of documentaries at Imax. “We wanted to know more about these animals and why it happened.”

The herd’s wanderlust embraced impromptu village feasts, riotous raids on grain stores, messy mud fights, and births, enthralling people all around the world, with millions watching the story unfold via 24-hour livestreamed drone footage.

Directed by Alice Gu, the 90-minute film is co-produced by Imax, Beach House Pictures under Blue Ant Media, and China Review Studio under China International Communications Group, in association with the Foreign Languages Press and Lucent Pictures. Clair Popkin is the director of photography.

“This will be an immersive wildlife documentary like no other,” Turner said.

Editor: Futura Costaglione