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Fox & Blue Sky Animation Taking on Charlie Brown & 'Peanuts' Gang
by Ethan Anderton
October 9, 2012
"Good grief." Apparently enjoying classic Peanuts cartoons around the holiday isn't good enough for 20th Century Fox and Blue Sky Animation as Deadline reports the studio and their Ice Age animation house are taking Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the whole gang to the big screen for a new animated film franchise. And wouldn't you know it, the film will arrive on November 25th, 2015, just in time to capitalize on the 65th anniversary of Charles M. Schulz's classic comic strip. It also happens to mark the 50th anniversary of A Charlie Brown Christmas, largely considered to be the favorite Peanuts holiday TV special. More below.
Horton Hears a Who! director Steve Martino, fresh off directing Ice Age: Continental Drift, will be at the helm with the script coming from Schulz's son and grandson Craig Schulz and Bryan Schulz, the latter of which will also be working with his writing partner Cornelius Uliano to adapt the comic strip. The trio of writers will also be producing the film. It's no surprise to see why Fox wants to bring the comic strip to the big screen as it was read by 355 million people in 75 countries. My concern isn't the idea of bringing Peanuts to the big screen, but rather how it's being done.
Craig Schulz says, "“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." That makes me think that this will not be the traditional 2D animation we've come to expect from Charlie Brown's misadventures, and we'll get a computer animated feature in the same vein as Martino's aforementioned work. Frankly, taking the characters out of that medium sounds a bit blasphemous and I can't imagine fans are going to be too pleased with that move. Hopefully with the Schulz boys on this project it doesn't just feel like a studio cashing in on a big brand name to rake in box office cash. Stay tuned.
3 Comments
1
As someone who's not really a fan of Peanuts, and is largely in favour of remakes, re-imaginings and updating classics- this seems like a pretty bad idea. Here's hoping they actually comprehend the responsibility that they have.
OfficialJab on Oct 9, 2012
2
For years I have feared they'd make a Peanuts movie with live action children and a "realistic" looking CG animated beagle. I literally thought there was no other way Hollywood would tackle the inevitable movie. That they are at least keeping it all animated offers some hope & relief, though I can't imagine these characters working outside of 2D animation. I still have pretty low expectations for a modern, Charles Schulz-less Peanuts adaptation. I'm sure they'll go to great lengths to make it "hip" and full of pop culture jokes...God knows that "timeless" stuff is for chumps.
SketchyGalore on Oct 9, 2012
3
I think they'll really consider this properly, or at least, I bloody hope they do!
Dan B on Oct 9, 2012
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