Big news for Chinese animation leader Fantawild’s beloved Boonie Bears this week! Fantasy-adventure Fantastica will make its U.S. debut exclusively on DIRECTV today (May 16), followed by a theatrical and On Demand release on June 14 through Viva Kids. Meanwhile, their new time-traveling caper Blast into the Past has sold to more than 15 territories around the world.
Boonie Bears is China’s most successful animated franchise, having grown from a popular TV series — which has aired in 80 territories — into a slate of six feature films which have earned $400 million at the global box office.
In Fantastica: A Boonie Bears Adventure, the bear bros set off on a wild adventure through the mystical land of Fantastica. With help from a quick-witted robot and a fearless female warrior, the Boonie Bears must save a sacred artifact from a group of super powered thieves. The English dub stars Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell) and Josh Peck (Drake & Josh) as the lead voices. The family film is directed by Yongchang Lin and Huida Lin.
The franchise’s sixth installment, Boonie Bears: Blast into the Past, has been acquired by Cinemas Guzzo (Canada), Media Solutions Partners (Spain), Treblo Media (Russia), Bir Films (Turkey), Gulf Films (Middle East), Westec Media (Cambodia), Entermode Corp (S. Korea) and Mockingbird (Vietnam) for theatrical release. In addition, Sony has acquired all non-theatrical rights for Latin America until 2020, and Panorama has snagged DVD rights in Hong Kong.
[Sources: DIRECTV, ScreenDaily]
