Abigail Hing Wen brings her hybrid live-action/animated short film, her directorial debut, and expansion of The Vale series
The team behind the short hybrid film includes Tony Award winner Lea Salonga, who brings a little Disney magic as she introduces the audience to THE VALE, the AI-generated fantasy that centers on Bran Lee, a 13-year-old inventor. Lea also performs a special closing-credits arrangement of “Lavender’s Blue,” arranged by composer Andromeda Wen. The short features animation directed by Emmy Award winner John Aoshima (GRAVITY FALLS, ULTRAMAN: RISING) and also stars Robert Palmer Watkins (THE WALKING DEAD), with Egan Xander (son of actors Janet Hsieh and George Young) making his screen debut.
“I wrote THE VALE novel in 2015 but back then, it was too early to publish a book about an AI-generated virtual world. I’m so thrilled that this story is now out in the world and expanding in so many ways, and to be on this journey with incredibly talented, wonderful people.”
Abigail Hing Wen
The prequel is expanding the universe and is a blend of live action and animation that uses a cross-platform storytelling universe to explore AI, imagination, identity, and the morality of exploring the future of the technology that is quickly shaping our world. It will also incorporate roblox a popular platform for kids that allows them to make friends online and expand imagination.
“Collaborating with writer-director Abigail Hing Wen on THE VALE – ORIGINS was a genuinely rewarding experience. I was drawn to the story’s emotional heart, a story about family, imagination, loss, and resilience. It was a privilege to help bring those ideas to life through animation alongside such a passionate and talented team. I’m incredibly proud of what we created together, and I can’t wait for audiences to experience it.”
John Aoshima, Animation Director
| San Diego Comic-Con Screening & Panel Information Enter The Vale: World Premiere of a New Fantasy Universe Date/Time: Friday, July 24, 2026, 3:15–4:15 p.m. Location: Sails Pavilion – Autographs, Autograph Area AA05 San Diego Comic-Con Screening & Panel Information Enter The Vale: World Premiere of a New Fantasy Universe Date/Time: Friday, July 24, 2026, 1:45 p.m. Location: Room 6DE Panelists: Abigail Hing Wen, John Aoshima, Andromeda Wen, and Efrem Bonetti Moderator: Dante Basco Special Guests: Janet Hsieh (Fun Taiwan, Love in Taipei) and George Young (Falling for Christmas) Autograph Session Autograph Session: Enter The Vale: World Premiere of a New Fantasy Universe Date/Time: Friday, July 24, 2026, 3:15–4:15 p.m. Location: Sails Pavilion – Autographs, Autograph Area AA05 Following the screening, Wen will be joined by members of the creative team for a panel discussion on the making of THE VALE – ORIGINS and the development of THE VALE as a transmedia franchise. Panelists include animation director John Aoshima; composer Andromeda Wen, a breakthrough young artist who premiered her first piece at Carnegie Hall this June; and actor-producer Efrem Bonetti, who will unveil Wen’s highly anticipated next project. The panel will be moderated by actor Dante Basco (AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER, Steven Spielberg’s HOOK). Published by Third State Books in September 2025, THE VALE became an instant New York Times bestseller. The novel follows Bran Lee, a brilliant neurodiverse young inventor who enters his AI-powered virtual fantasy world into a major invention competition in hopes of saving his family, only to uncover dangerous glitches and a betrayal that threaten both the Vale and the real world beyond it. Before its San Diego Comic-Con premiere, THE VALE – ORIGINS screened privately at select venues across the country, including Rideback Ranch, where Wen is a member of the Rideback Rise Circle, as well as at the Signet Society at Harvard University, the University of California, Berkeley, and Sandbox VR. The film is expected to screen at additional festivals and special events in the coming months. About Abigail Hing Wen Abigail Hing Wen is an author, film producer, and director, as well as a former tech executive. She is the New York Times bestselling author of multiple novels for young people, including LOVEBOAT, TAIPEI, which has been adapted as the movie LOVE IN TAIPEI, now on Netflix. Abigail served as an executive producer and on set during production. Her novel KISSES, CODES AND CONSPIRACIES, a thriller and romantic comedy novel featuring three teens on the run through the Bay Area, is an instant national bestseller, USA Today bestseller,r and Amazon Editor’s Pick for YA Book of the Month. Abigail directed her first short film starring Lea Salonga, a prequel to her New York Times bestselling middle grade debut THE VALE, featuring an inventor family that builds an AI-generated virtual world. She serves on the board of Harvardwood. She is a member of Dan Lin’s Rideback Rise Circle and serves as a judge for the Golden Trailer Awards, recognizing the industry’s most outstanding film trailers. Abigail is a frequent keynote speaker for young people, including Y’Allfest, US Presidential Scholars, and the Los Altos High Writer’s Week, as well as libraries, colleges, high schools, and bookstores around the country. She’s also given keynotes and fireside chats for the National Conference of State Legislatures, Meta, Google, Paramount, PayPal, and other tech and entertainment companies, and spoken on panels at venues such as SDCC, LACC, LA Times Festival of Books, and ALA. About John Aoshima John Aoshim is a Feature Director and an Emmy-winning and Annie-nominated Television Director known for Disney’s hit series, GRAVITY FALLS, DUCKTALES, and the long-running Primetime series, AMERICAN DAD! on Fox and Hulu. John was born in Japan and raised in Southern California. He has turned his passion for art and film into earning a BFA degree in Character Animation at CalArts. In his early career, he has excelled in various roles on television series such as FUTURAMA, THE SIMPSONS, AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER, STAR VS THE FORCES OF EVIL, and DUCKTALES. John shifted his focus to feature films and served as Head of Story on Laika’s BAFTA-winning stop-motion feature, KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS. He later joined Netflix Animation in 2018 as Sequence Director on the Emmy-winning Limited Series, MAYA AND THE THREE. Then transitioned to Co-Directing on the animated feature, ULTRAMAN: RISING, in partnership with Tsuburaya Productions and ILM. Now directing the new Hello Kitty movie at Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, set to be out in 2028. John also divides his time developing originals and adapting popular IPs into series and feature projects. About Dante Basco Dante Basco is a multitalented filmmaker whose career spans more than four decades. Discovered by Steve Spielberg in the film HOOK, and went on to acquire over a hundred screen credits, including voice work, bringing to life the iconic “Prince Zuko” in AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER. His work as a writer, director, and producer includes THE FABULOUS FILIPINO BROTHERS, which premiered at SXSW and reached wide audiences on major streaming platforms. Dante continues to create stories that celebrate identity, culture, and connection. About Andromeda Wen: Andromeda Wen is an SF-based composer and multi-reedist. Her music explores the intersection of art and activism, using sound to respond to pressing social and ecological crises—from coral bleaching and oil spills to the erosion of democracy—and has been heard throughout the USA, Italy, and Austria, where she studied for a year. In the United States, her rapidly expanding repertoire includes a premiere in Santa Fe and her Carnegie Hall debut in June 2026, and in Italy, at the Alba Music Festival. She has studied at Tanglewood, Interlochen, the Walden School, and presently, the SFCM pre-collegiate program and performed with the Stanford Jazz Workshop Big Band. She scored THE VALE — ORIGINS, a short film starring Lea Salonga. As a saxophonist, she has performed at venues including Lincoln Center in New York and the Legion of Honor in San Francisco. Her work has garnered multiple national awards, including first place in the Pacific Musical Society and Foundation Composition Competition, judged by Grammy Award Winner Mason Bates. About Efrem Bonetti Efrem Bonetti produced and acted in Abigail Hing Wen’s upcoming short film. He is an actor and incoming Yenching Scholar at Peking University, whose work bridges the entertainment industry with regional expertise. He is a graduate of Harvard University, where he studied History and East Asian Studies and was awarded the prestigious Hoopes Prize for his research on late modern Chinese history. Raised in Italy, his global career includes directing educational conferences in Mainland China, conducting geopolitical research for the European Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin, and speaking at venues including Harvard’s Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies. |
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