The Imperial Lullaby

Life of Pi is a 2012 adventure-drama film directed and produced by Ang Lee and written by David Magee. Based on Yann Martel's 2001 novel, it stars Suraj Sharma in his film debut, Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Rafe Spall, Gérard Depardieu and Adil Hussain in lead roles. The storyline revolves around Pi Patel, a 16-year old Indian boy, and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker, who are both stranded on a lifeboat for 227 days after a shipwreck. The film began development shortly after the release of the book and would see directors M. Night Shyamalan, Alfonso Cuarón and Jean-Pierre Jeunet involved at various stages before the hiring of Lee. Filming was split between India, Taiwan and Montreal in 2011, with Rhythm & Hues Studios (R&H) handling the visual effects work. Life of Pi had its worldwide premiere as the opening film of the 50th New York Film Festival at both the Walter Reade Theater and Alice Tully Hall in New York City on September 28, 2012, and was theatrically released in the United States on November 21 by 20th Century Fox. The film became a commercial success, having grossed over $609 million worldwide, making it Lee's highest-grossing film. It received positive reviews from critics and received numerous accolades, including nominations for three Golden Globe Awards: Best Picture – Drama, Best Director, Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, winning the latter. At the 85th Academy Awards, it was nominated for eleven awards, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, and won four, including Best Director for Lee.