KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian animated feature Papa Zola The Movie is set to reach international audiences across Southeast Asia, West Asia, and South Asia following its local box office success, having collected RM43 million in just 18 days.
Produced by MONSTA in collaboration with Astro Shaw, the film will begin its international journey on Jan 23, 2026, in Indonesia, before expanding to Saudi Arabia in April, followed by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries - Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait - in May, alongside premieres in Turkiye and India.
To ensure accessibility and resonance with audiences worldwide, the film will be dubbed in Arabic, Turkish, Vietnamese, Hindi, Tamil, and English, reflecting MONSTA’s commitment to global storytelling.
MD Pictures chief marketing officer Rivki Morais, in a statement, said that the overwhelming audience response has earned the trust of distributors worldwide, supporting the film’s international rollout.
"It’s grounded in real-life struggles that every parent and family can relate to, making it highly marketable across cultures,” he said.
Meanwhile, MONSTA’s Media director Faiz Zainal Aabidin said Papa Zola The Movie is a story that stands on its own, one that audiences anywhere can connect with.
According to MONSTA, the film tells the heartwarming story of Papa Zola, a hardworking father thrust into extraordinary circumstances to save his family, and has captured the imagination of audiences across Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei.
Beyond its box office performance, it said that the film has been praised for its emotionally driven narrative, which highlights the struggles of everyday life, the bonds of family and the universal challenges of fatherhood.
MONSTA, the studio behind popular franchises such as BoBoiBoy and Mechamato, added that the success of Papa Zola The Movie reinforces its ability to produce animated content that resonates across cultures while retaining strong local elements.
With Papa Zola The Movie, MONSTA continues to elevate Malaysian animation, proving that local stories told with heart, creativity, and universal themes can compete on the world stage.
"The film’s phenomenal success demonstrates the appetite for locally made content that combines emotional depth, relatable narratives, and high-quality animation, paving the way for the next generation of Malaysian stories to reach audiences around the globe,” said MONSTA. - BERNAMA