It has been confirmed that the Chinese animated feature film Boonie Bears: Mystical Winter will be released in the United States. The film will be distributed in the U.S. by SP Releasing.
SP Releasing has a current agreement with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment to distribute 10 films annually. SP Releasing is yet to confirm the official release date of Bookie Bears: Mystical Winter in the US. However, there are indications that the film will be released this year.
Boonie Bears: Mystical Winter is a spinoff movie based on one of China's most successful TV cartoon shows. When it was released in China in 2015, the movie amassed more than $47 million in the box office.
The movie tells the story of two bears who are trying to stop a logger from destroying their habitat. The cartoon series debuted on Chinese television in 2012. It is distributed by China Central Television and can also be streamed online via iQIYI.
The cartoon series has over 400 episodes running about 13 minutes each. SP Releasing was able to acquire the rights directly from Boonie Bears producer Fantawild Animation.
In similar news, Boonie Bears is expecting a major competition in the near future as the opening of the Shanghai Disneyland draws near. Disney is making a lucrative bet worth $5.5 billion in China's local theme park sector.
Boonie Bears is considered a cultural icon in China, and Disney faces a huge hurdle in its bid to make its attractions and products stand out in the region.
Animation-Comic-Game Group director Song Lei said, "When we get kids now to write down their favorite cartoon character, very few put down Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck. Instead it's what is being broadcast on television, what they're seeing in their day-to-day."
