'Boonie Bears: Future Reborn'

A poster for "Boonie Bears: Future Reborn." [Image courtesy of Fantawild Animation]

The "Boonie Bears" franchise has established itself as a popular option for family entertainment during the holiday season. This year, audiences, especially young children, can look forward to the sci-fi-themed animated feature "Boonie Bears: Future Reborn."

The new film continues the franchise's recent foray into sci-fi storytelling, exploring themes of time travel and dystopia. The story centers on Vick the logger, the iconic bears Briar and Bramble, and a new character called Xiao Liang, a teenager from the future. They are thrust into an unexpected adventure a century in the future, where Earth is occupied by monstrous mutant spore plants. Together, they must find and defeat the villain threatening the planet's safety.

This film serves as the finale for the franchise's sci-fi subseries, which includes five installments. The creative team aims to address environmental issues while inspiring audiences facing hardships. The film encourages children to embrace science, technology and innovation for a better future. Like previous entries in the franchise, "Boonie Bears: Future Reborn" weaves in Chinese cultural elements as part of its mission to share Chinese stories with global audiences.

"Boonie Bears: Future Reborn" is set for release in Chinese theaters during the Spring Festival, with international release plans scheduled for later this year.

The beloved animated franchise, which was launched in 2013, has grown from a budding concept into a major player. Its previous 10 theatrical releases have collectively grossed over 7.7 billion yuan, and its animated series has been exported to more than 130 countries and broadcast on over 300 TV networks and platforms in multiple languages.