Next Christmas, the lovable Peanuts characters will get their first CGI animated 3D feature film ever. That’s right, all of our favorite Charles Schulz creations, namely Snoopy and Charlie Brown, will star in a CGI animation film aptly titled: The Peanuts Movie. Fans, new and old, will once again get the chance to experience the triumph of the unlucky “blockhead.”
The People Behind It
Blue Sky Studios, the computer animation studio behind the massive animated franchises Ice Age and Rio, is producing the movie, while 20th Century Fox (whom has owned Blue Sky Studios since 1997) is distributing. In keeping with the family, Stephen Michael “Steve” Martino, who is known for co-directing Horton Hears a Who and Ice Age: Continental Drift, is directing the 3D film.
To be expected, writing credits for the new movie are going to Charles M. Schulz, the legendary creator of the original Peanuts comic strips. Additional writing credit will go to Craig Schulz (Charles Schulz’s son and brainchild behind the project), Brian Schulz (Charles Schulz’s grandson) and Cornelius Uliano (writer/director/producer), who have all been tight lipped about the story.
However, we do know that Bill Melendez (renowned character animator and voice artist) will posthumously provide the voices for both Snoopy and Woodstock via archival recordings. Noah Schnapp is providing the voice of Charlie Brown, Hadley Belle Miller is voicing Lucy and Alex Garfin is providing the voice for Linus, to name a few.
What to Expect
Although much of the information about the upcoming movie has been kept under wraps, it is safe to say that the plot of The Peanuts Movie will likely involve a hapless Charlie Brown on a quest for something that he is convinced is worth the trouble he will undoubtedly endure. And, of course, there will be lots of drama that will ensue as a result of his unwavering persistence, much like the plot of most of the original comic strips and animated movies. You just have to love the spirit of that kid! A point that Director Steve Martino doesn’t want lost on the audience of the new film.
In an interview with the Washington Post in April 2014, Martino conveyed his strong desire to have The Peanuts Movie story line reflect the essence of the character Charlie Brown as classically depicted by Charles Schulz’s comic strip. He also mentioned his intent on keeping the consistency of Schulz’s “pen line”, all the while embracing the fact that the famous characters would undoubtedly look differently on a new canvas such as the CG medium[1].
If you haven’t seen it yet, check out the first official trailer right here. The Peanuts Movie is slated for release on November 6, 2015, to mark the 65th anniversary of the Peanuts launch in the United Feature Syndicate.
[1] Michael Cavna, “You’re a Good Plan, Charlie Brown: A peek into the meticulous vision behind 2015’s ‘Peanuts’ feature film,” The Washington Post. April 7, 2014. Accessed December 8, 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2014/04/07/youre-a-good-plan-charlie-brown-a-peek-into-the-meticulous-vision-for-the-peanuts-feature-film-in-2015.