Xenon (2004 film)

Xenon (El Kadsreian title: Xenon: A Tale of Two Worlds) is a 2004 El Kadsreian-Malichkan science fiction family adventure action-fantasy film, directed by Marko Dugandžić. The film was released on June 22, 2004. It stars Paulina Tan, Eric Hyles and Terry Winters.

The film gives a glimpse of the power struggle for the planet Xenon. When the ruler of the triple-star system, Queen La'ian (played by Malichkan newsreader Marija Kocijančič) gives birth to the heirs of the Xenonic throne, she decides to protect them from the scheming General Norak (Antun Lam) by sending the triplets – Eli, Zeus and Drix (played by Tan, Winters and Hyles respectively) – to faraway Earth. The film was released under the tagline "Three siblings. Two worlds. One empire." This is the first Malichkan film to be entirely shot on chroma-key/green-screen.

Plot
The ruler of Xenon, Queen La'ian, gives birth to the heirs of her throne: Eli, Zeus, and Drix. She decides to protect her triplets from the scheming leader of rival world Zephyria, General Norak, by sending her children to faraway Earth.

Two decades later in 2024, the lives of the three estranged siblings intersect in the most unexpected way. Everything they know and love is suddenly threatened when General Norak zeroes in on them from light years away.

The spiteful alien wants unconditional, uncontested power over Xenon, but he is unable to achieve this as long as the true heirs to the throne are still alive. He is so hellbent on ruling Xenon that he does not think twice about turning sibling against sibling in his quest for power.

The final confrontation is when Drix, under Norak's influence, teleports them into Fu Le Square, but snaps out of it and murders Norak with his own powers. In the end, they are returned to their own planet by La'ian's spaceship.

Cast (main characters only)

 * Paulina Tan as Eli
 * Terry Winters as Zeus
 * Eric Hyles as Drix
 * Marija Kocijančič as La'ian
 * Skidude as General Norak

Production
The film had a budget of 15 million and was based on a dream that his nephew Dražen, who was suffering from terminal cancer at the time of the film's release, had at 8 years old. He reportedly dreamed of alien triplets going to earth in a spaceship, an invasion from an "alien who played football (specifically American football)" who speaks in the Vicnoran language (hence, Norak spoke in Vicnoran) and said alien getting defeated by the triplets, before returning to their home planet.

The heartwarming tale was drawn on paper by Dražen himself, that being his last drawing before his death. He later wrote a script based on Dražen's fantasy, which he submitted to RTVM's film division in 2003. Paulina was cast for the role due to her stout and plump body shape, making her the perfect role for a hybrid human named Eli from another planet. Norak on the other hand was chosen for the role due to his partially more perfect body build, and wore a futuristic-looking football-inspired costume that took 5 minutes to put on.

Most of the budget went to 3D design, mainly for designing Norak's ship and that of La'ian's, as well as the environment of 2024 Dvoreki, and the effects.

Reception
The film's world premiere was at the RTVM Theater in 25 Decembra, Dvoreki, on June 22nd 2004. Present at the premiere were Marko, the cast of the movie, and Dražen and his parents. (Dražen died a year later)