Michel Ocelot, the French writer and director of animated films, likely best known for his 1998 début feature "Kirikou and the Sorceress," which has been written about a few times on this blog (as well as its sequels; it’s a trilogy) is prepping to launch production on what will be his next film, "Dilili à Paris" ("Dilili in Paris"), another feature-length animation – his 7th.

The story, set in Paris, follows the adventures of the titular Dilili, a mixed-race girl of the Kanak (the indigenous inhabitants of New Caledonia) during the Belle Époque era (1900-ish), who teams up with a boy her age to solve a mystery of little girls who are being kidnapped. They uncover a sect (comprised of adults) who are seemingly responsible for the disappearances, and who the pair will have to go up against or else.

Production is about to get under way, with a 2018 completion date eyed by the filmmaker. It’s animation, and it’s feature-length; these things take time, especially if it must be great, which I’m sure he’s aiming for, as he has done with past films.

The $7.5 million film is being produced by Nord-Ouest Films and by Ocelot’s own Studio O production company. Arte France Cinéma, Artémis Productions, Senator Film Produktion and Mars Films are co-producing.

The above image was lifted from Ocelot’s website. Whether it represents what the film will look like isn’t said. I assume that little Dilili is the girl on the left.