Creating magic on screen

[Photo provided to China Daily]

"When I completed my student film Greener (1994), I thought it was a disaster. But it won a bunch of prizes ... people really liked it. It made me realize that it's better to make something imperfect than something perfect," he says.

"Even when I look back at Kung Fu Panda, I think 'Oh, my God, it's not good enough'. These regrets are a part of filmmaking. You have to move on."

Osborne says his latest project is a no-dialogue musical piece, which may become a sole feature or a series.

"It's a story that you can enjoy no matter where you are from. I have talked to some investors from China about this project," he says.

Since the success of Kung Fu Panda and The Little Prince in China, the world's second-largest movie market since 2012, Osborne frequently hears that Chinese filmmakers want to be a part of his movies.

"I have a couple of different projects with Chinese investments or connections. I would love to find a way to tell a story being connected here (with Chinese audiences) and build on the relationships that we already have."