René Laloux’s The Time Masters is returning to cinemas with a new 4K restoration

Directed by visionary sci-fi animator René Laloux (Fantastic Planet) and designed by the legendary Jean Giraud (a.k.a. Mœbius), The Time Masters is a trippy, visually fantastic foray into existentialist space adventure.

After his parents are killed on the dangerous planet Perdide, young Piel (voiced by Frédéric Legros) survives by maintaining radio contact with Jaffar (Jean Valmost), a pilot transporting the exiled Prince Matton (Yves-Marie) and Princess Belle (Monique Thierry) from their former kingdom. Jaffar seeks the help of Silbad (Michel Elias), a cheerful old-timer who knows how to circumvent Perdide’s hazards, including brain-devouring insects and watery graves. Along the way, Jaffar and company encounter a pair of impish homunculi stowaways, identity-less angels controlled by an amorphous hive mind, and the Masters of Time, mysterious beings who can bend reality and perhaps reveal to the heroes their secret origins and destinies.

I remember seeing this when I was much too young to quite understand what was going on. However, I was hypnotized by the gorgeous artwork, strangeness of it all and how it dealt with aging and loss. I don’t think I have seen it since the 1980s so it will be good to revisit it.

Janus Films are behind the re-release and you can watch the trailer below.

The Time Masters returns to cinemas on 26th July 2024.