Ejen Ali: The Movie

Ali is a 12-year-old boy who becomes an agent at MATA (Meta Advance Tactical Agency), a secret agency protecting the city of Cyberaya[lower-alpha 1]. This all happens after he accidentally activates a gadget named IRIS (Infinity Retinal Intelligent System). IRIS is a device created by MATA, it can receive sensor from Ali and perform complex actions, such as: predict movement, hack into any server, crack password and X-Ray Vision. IRIS is powered by Ali's energy, and Ali is the only one who can use IRIS now because it is synchronised with him. So he is trained as an agent. Together with his uncle Bakar and other young agents, they cooperate in MATA missions.

Ejen Ali is embracing his role as a MATA spy and the only master of IRIS now. But unknown to Ali, MATA is developing a new improved version of IRIS, the IRIS Neo. When IRIS Neo starts being used for all agents, Ali begins to question his position in MATA. He is approached by a mysterious person named Niki who claims to know about his late mother. Risking his loyalty to MATA, Ejen Ali will now embark on a thrilling chase to unravel those mysterious links. What awaits in the end?[3]

• Ida Rahayu Yusoff as Ali & Comot
• Nabilah Rais as Niki
• Noorhayati Maslini Omar as Alicia
• Shafiq Isa as Bakar
• Azman Zulkiply as General Rama
• Salina Salmee Mohd Ali as Aliya
• Abu Shafian Abd Hamid as Dato' Othman
• Ahmad Sufian Mazilan as Bobby
• Megat Zahrin Megat Hisham as Fit
• Azuan Wanji as Vikram
• Altimet as Andik
• Amir Mustaqim as Surya
• Fadhli Shafian as Abang Bear

The film costs RM6.5 million including promotion cost.[4] The filmmaking team consists of a total of 80 local animation designers and graphic artists. The production of this film uses high-quality digital technology.[2] The average crews who produce this animated movie is between the ages of 25 and 28.[5] The process of filmmaking took about one and a half years to be finished.

The music score was composed by Azri Yunus, the lead composer, assisted by the assistant composer, Hakim Kamal. Azri Yunus said the difference of the music score in the series with this film is they wanted to put more ecstatic value by putting in more emotional feelings to make audiences in the cinemas attached.[6] The official music score of the film was released on 27 December 2019.

"Bukalah Matamu" is the first released single from the official soundtrack album of Ejen Ali: The Movie, released on YouTube and all streaming platforms on 20 September 2019.[7] The song sends a message to people who have everything to open their eyes and improve themselves. In the movie, the lyrics of this song as if is intended to Dato' Othman, the arrogant mayor of Cyberaya.

However, "Bukalah Matamu" got into a controversy where it was claimed that the song has a similarity with a song from TheFatRat and Laura Brehm, The Calling. The director, Usamah Zaid Yasin, has explained that they have no intention to imitate the song as claimed by most people. They made the song by making a few group bands as the reference such as Linkin Park and Daft Punk. When they realized that the song has similarities with The Calling, they were surprised and immediately contacted TheFatRat to explain the situation and offer them credit to the song and a bit of royalty from the film.[8]

"Kita Jaga Kita" is the second released single from the official soundtrack album.[9] Initially, they approached Altimet only for voice acting. But when they tried their luck by asking Altimet to make a song, he agreed to do so. The lyrics of the songs comes from the perspective of the people of the urban slum Pinggiran.

WAU Animation announced this film project when they released their first teaser trailer for this movie on 7 August 2018.[10] The second teaser trailer is released on 29 March 2019.[11] The first official trailer was premiered on 1 August 2019[12] while the second official trailer was premiered on 9 October 2019.[13]

On 2 October 2019, WAU Animation had officially released the official theatrical poster of the film, which also revealed the release date for Malaysian cinemas. It was released in 146 cinemas in Malaysia, 8 in Singapore and 7 in Brunei. There was also a possibility of it being screened in 50 countries but Ahmad Izham Omar, CEO of Primeworks Studios said that it is still in discussion.[14] For the Indonesian market, the film is released in CGV, Kota Cinemas, Platinum Cineplex and Flix Indonesia on 1 January 2020.

WAU Animation targeted RM20 million for the local market for this movie,[23] which is achieved in only 14 days of screening. Ejen Ali: The Movie has surpassed BoBoiBoy Movie 2 after 43 days to be the highest-grossing Malaysian animated film, the highest-grossing Malaysian film in 2019 and the third highest-grossing Malaysian film of all time by collecting RM 30 million.[24]

• Ejen Ali: The Movie on IMDb