Starting way back in 1950, Charles Schulz’s Peanuts is one of the best-known comic strips around the world, with Charlie Brown and Snoopy amongst the most recognisable cartoon characters of all time.
And now, following years of appearances in print, film, and TV, Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studios are set to turn the Peanuts gang into an animated feature film franchise.
Fox have acquired the rights, and have already set the date for the film to be released on 25th November, 2015, sixty-five years after it was first printed back in 1950.
Steve Martino, director of Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who! and Ice Age: Continental Drift, has been set to helm the feature, directing from a script by Craig Schulz and the writing duo of Bryan Schulz and Cornelius Uliano, the first two of which are Charles Schulz’s son and grandson.
“Craig Schulz, President, Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates, said, “We have been working on this project for years. We finally felt the time was right and the technology is where we need it to be to create this film. I am thrilled we will be partnering with Blue Sky/Fox to create a Peanuts movie that is true to the strip and will continue the legacy in honor of my father.””
We’ve still got three years to go before it reaches the big screen, but there’s naturally going to be plenty to discuss along the way – we don’t know yet what kind of animation we’ll be seeing, though Craig’s comments regarding technology might imply the use of CGI. But having said that, Disney’s Paperman short is highly anticipated for its unique blend of hand-drawn animation, and is being described as cutting edge, so Peanuts may well be moving in that direction. Time will tell.
Peanuts will be released on 25th November, 2015, giving us a little over three years to get excited. In the meantime, here’s a brilliant little video of our beloved Snoopy, Charlie Brown, and the whole Peanuts gang. Let us know your thoughts on this new project in the comments below.
[yframe url=’www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfA6JelKar0′]
Source: via Deadline.
