Mr Bean fans warned over Asian rip-off

Jakarta - Mr Bean fans in Indonesia have been warned to beware of a locally made spoof horror film called Mr Bean Possessed by Depe that stars an unknown actor that bears a resemblance to the popular character.

The official Facebook page for Mr Bean, a comedy about a socially awkward man played by the British comedian Rowan Atkinson, said: "We have just heard that there is a new film out in Indonesia with 'Mr Bean' in the title.

"Please be aware that it has nothing to do with with your beloved Mr Bean or Mr Rowan Atkinson so please avoid being disappointed."

The producers of Mr Bean Possessed by Depe, starring the well-known actress Dewi Perssik, denied they were attempting to pass the film off as an original Mr Bean movie.

Buxom Perssik

"We never mentioned Rowan Atkinson's name. We only said the film would star Mr Bean," producer KK Dheeraj, from K2K Productions, told AFP.

"There are so many things called bean - coffee, fruit. We can use the name too, if we want.

"For example, in Malaysia there are Mr Bean snacks, but that doesn't mean they're Rowan Atkinson's products."

In the movie released last week, Mr Bean, played by an unknown British actor, is a mummy-like ghost shrouded in white who becomes entranced by the buxom Perssik, who is commonly known by her initials D.P. (Depe).

Indonesian media reported last month that Perssik said Atkinson would star opposite her in the film, but the popular actress maintained on Monday that she only ever said "a Mr Bean" would play the role.

"It's a business trick," she wrote on Twitter in Indonesian.

Dheeraj declined to name the male star of the film, saying only that he is British, while Perssik tweeted: "I don't know his name. I only know him as Mr Bean."

The original Mr Bean, a television and film series that brought Atkinson international fame, is popular in Indonesia, where the character is found on mobile phone covers and pencil cases.