Boonie Bears return to Spring Festival theaters

Boonie Bears, an enduring animated franchise featuring the titular sibling creatures, will make a comeback on the domestic silver screen with its 11th installment, Future Reborn.

The new film, which will open on the first day of Spring Festival, Jan 29, also serves as the finale of the franchise's subseries, which includes five titles, all revolving around sci-fi themes.

Interweaving various sci-fi elements like time travel and a dystopian world, the new story centers on a baldheaded man named Qiang (meaning "strong"), who works as a tourist guide leading a group on a mountain hiking expedition.

Unexpectedly, a teenager from the future world emerges and clashes with two other futuristic warriors, which leads to Qiang and the two anthropomorphic bears being transported to a future world a century later. Together, they must join forces to expose a villain that threatens the safety of Earth.

Shang Linlin, the chief producer of the movie, said that despite its sci-fi setting, the film also drew inspiration from the contemporary world, with its aim to resonate with today's audiences and provide them with a sense of warmth and empowering strength.

At the Beijing premiere of the film on Wednesday, director Lin Yongchang expressed that his creative team has strived to ensure that the new film serves not only as a source of joy for children but also resonates with adults, forging an emotional connection for communication.

Deng Guanghui, vice-chairman of the China Film Association, noted that the franchise has maintained a stable level of popularity over the years. Rao Shuguang, president of the China Film Critics Association, commented that the upcoming film conveys positive messages such as environmental protection and selfless heroism while also delving into in-depth explorations of sci-fi topics like artificial intelligence.

The franchise, launched in 2012, has created a diverse range of projects in various art forms, including a total of 19 animated series spanning around 2,000 episodes, along with two stage plays.