‘Little Amélie’ Co-Director Liane-Cho Han Developing Animated Series Based On ‘Earth’s Children’ (EXCLUSIVE)

From The Character of Rain to timeless characters: veteran animator and Little Amélie co-director Liane-Cho Han, who looked back on his career during his first masterclass at the Fredrikstad Animation Festival last month, revealed at the event that he is working on an adaptation of Earth’s Children, the bestselling prehistoric saga by Jean M. Auel.

The project — a 12×26-minute young adult/adult-oriented series, which he presented in great detail and exclusively to Cartoon Brew in a half-hour interview last week — is in the very early stages of development but already has the blessing of the rights holders.

With his newly founded production company, Pilepse Production, Han (now based in Denmark) is actively seeking partners and writers to join this ambitious new 2D animated project.

Two Worlds, from Page to Screen

Just as he was blown away by The Character of Rain when he discovered it as a young adult, Han fell in love with the Earth’s Children saga as soon as his Danish partner — who had read the books as a teenager and still counts them among her favorites — introduced him to them. “Of course, those are two completely different stories, but the impact on me was equally strong. Earth’s Children is set in prehistoric times when two human species lived together, but this coming-of-age story of a young girl who loses her family in an earthquake and has to survive, adapt, and evolve somehow says a lot about us.”

For Han, the themes conveyed in Ayla’s tale (an orphaned Cro-Magnon girl adopted and raised by a tribe of Neanderthals who call themselves the Clan) deeply resonate with many modern societal issues. Her connection with nature, her journey toward empowerment, and the overall message of tolerance all echo today’s concerns. For Han, the resemblance was nothing less than striking. “At the time I was reading this book, I was already asking myself: why am I doing this job, what’s my reason with all that is happening in the world around us? Somehow, all the themes of this story resonated with me, even though it’s set in a very different time. Envisioning this project really gave me a purpose, because I think it can move a lot of people.”

As he did with Little Amélie, Han grabbed his pen and paper and wrote a letter to Auel’s family, pitching his vision for an animated adaptation. Two weeks later, their agent got back to him and a meeting was arranged — marking the beginning of this project.

“They’ve seen all the research I’ve been doing so far — Auel’s children and husband, who handle the estate — and they are really excited about it. We’ve built a very strong and trusting relationship around this project.”

Inspired by Giants, Crafting for the Next Generation

As a young aspiring artist, Liane-Cho Han was deeply influenced by classics such as Princess Mononoke and Grave of the Fireflies — films that, as he recalls, shaped his understanding of the world not only visually but emotionally. Now, as a director, it’s very important to him to craft an adaptation aimed at teenagers and young adults that combines strong aesthetics with deep subjects.

“It’s an age when you’re looking for your personality, trying to dissociate yourself from your parents, and discovering your own identity. It’s during that time that you experience the most emotion — between the immaturity and naivety of childhood and the reality of adulthood. To me, these are the years when I discovered things that changed me deeply. All those great works — these anime but also video games such as the Final Fantasy series — have shaped me and made me who I am today.”

Diving back into these roots to create, along with concept artists Joy Afaryan, Olivier Malric, and Bong Nguyen, the teaser he showcased at Fredrikstad, Han sets the tone for a grandiose 2D anime-inspired universe where reality, spirituality, and magic coexist — much as humans coexist with untamed nature. For the seasoned animator, known for crafting deeply emotional stories with expressive animation, perspective will be at the core of the adaptation process.

“It’s very important to understand that this series won’t be a documentary. It’s a story rooted in those times, where viewers — as readers did — will discover the world and its dangers from the point of view of Ayla and the people living with her.”

From giant bears to mysterious shamans, open landscapes to painted caves, Han’s take on Earth’s Children already holds great potential as an epic adventure series deeply rooted in these beloved books.

A Soundtrack for the Ages

At Fredrikstad, animation and video game fans noticed that the Earth’s Children teaser featured music from the acclaimed 2017 action-RPG NieR:Automata, composed by Keiichi Okabe. It was a deliberate choice by Liane-Cho Han, who dreams of collaborating with him on the project.

“I’ve been listening to these pieces for many years, and I really believe that this type of music could fit perfectly with the tone and atmosphere of this project. To me, music is 51% of a movie. And so I would like to be able, as Miyazaki did with Hisaishi on Princess Mononoke, to get the composer on board as quickly as possible. Having him involved from the outline and early development stages would allow him to create some themes and movements that could in turn inspire our storyboard and writing process. I am convinced that this kind of collaboration can bring forth another level of emotion — and that’s what art is all about.”

What’s Next?

As Han continues to tour with Little Amélie — winner of the Annecy Audience Award and AIF Grand Prix — which is set to be released this week in the U.S., he and his production team at Pilepse are looking for co-production partners, broadcasters, or streamers interested in supporting the project. They’re also seeking experienced writers, who, as Han emphasized, will be at the core of this key adaptation process.

“The images that you see here are very early concepts — none of this has been approved yet — but they still represent the first stone of what this project could become. To me, showing the tone and atmosphere is key to bringing partners, writers, and audiences on board for such a project. That’s why I’m very happy and excited to share them today.”

Han is confident that both U.S. and international audiences will connect with such an initiative. In fact, with more than six million copies of the first book — on which the first season will be based — sold in North America alone, and more than 48 million copies of the entire saga sold worldwide, the fan base for this IP is indeed extensive. Especially, as it turns out, in Denmark — just outside Han’s doorstep.

“In the Nordic countries, Earth’s Children had a huge impact on a whole generation. One out of fifteen Danes has read it, and the numbers are almost identical in Sweden. Therefore, unveiling this project at a Nordic animation festival felt very cathartic. I hope I’ll be able to collaborate with both local teams and international talents on this project, all driven by the same love for the original series.”