Produced by Monsta and Astro Shaw, the film presents Papa Zola’s never-before-revealed origin story in a standalone format that does not require audiences to have watched “BoBoiBoy” or “Papa Pipi” beforehand.

The film follows Papa Zola, a loving father who works hard to provide for his small family. When his daughter, Pipi, is kidnapped by aliens, he and his wife Mama Zila must rescue Pipi and stop a looming threat to the world.

Set against the backdrop of Kuala Lumpur, the film blends action, comedy and drama on a larger scale, while introducing a new level of maturity to Papa Zola’s world, with enhanced visuals and animation methods.

Monsta chief executive officer Nizam Abd Razak said this project marks the studio’s first attempt at featuring an adult character as the central lead, while exploring an emotional dimension in a character previously known mainly for humour.

“This time, Papa Zola is no longer just a children’s superhero: this film’s theme is more grounded, with a focus on adulthood and everyday life.

“The writing and direction also differ greatly because we needed to add layers of emotional depth to Papa Zola and explore how he reacts in certain situations,” he said at a press conference after the film’s gala screening recently.

Nizam, who directed the film and wrote the script, added that “Papa Zola The Movie” was designed as a standalone work so audiences, including international viewers, can enjoy it without needing to refer to earlier storylines.

“In international markets, it becomes difficult to screen a film that depends heavily on a series. But ‘Papa Zola’ received strong interest when we pitched it in Singapore and Cannes, including from buyers in Italy, Spain and the Middle East,” he revealed.

On export plans, Nizam said the film will debut in Indonesia on Jan 16 before expanding to Vietnam, India and several Middle Eastern markets, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Turkey from April.