Rowan Atkinson to appear as Mr. Bean in his first Chinese film

Poster ofTop Funny Comedian The Movie (Photo provided to China Daily/Asia News Network)

BEIJING – Rowan Atkinson, who is globally famous as Mr. Bean from the British sitcom by the same title, will soon be seen in the Chinese film Top Funny Comedian The Movie.

The cinematic adaptation of a hugely popular Chinese reality TV show on comedians will make its mainland debut on Jan. 28, the first day of the Spring Festival next year.

In his first Chinese film, Atkinson will appear as Mr. Bean – a character that is popular in the country, and not just among children.

But moviegoers will have to wait until the release to find out how much screen space he has in the film.

The film’s story revolves around an adventure from Beijing to Macao undertaken by its lead characters, two of which are played by Chinese comedians Guo Degang and Yue Yunpeng.

At a promotional event in Beijing on Dec. 8, Guo, who speaks little English, said he mostly communicated with Atkinson through body language during the shooting.

“Just with facial expressions and gestures we seemed to understand each other,” Guo said. “It was really an interesting experience, which proves that comedy can cross boundaries.”

The British actor did not attend the event but sent his greetings in Mandarin over video.