20th Century Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studios are teaming up for a Peanuts movie due November 2015. Craig Schulz, son of the late Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz, remarked, "It's long overdue. The fans have been asking for a long time, but we held off until the time was right." Schulz will produce the first Peanuts feature adaptation since 1980 with son Bryan Schulz, Paul Feig (The Heat), Michael J. Travers (Epic), and Cornelius Uliano. Steve Martino (Ice Age: Continental Drift) will direct from a script by Craig Schulz, Bryan Schulz, and Uliano.
Check out the first two images from the production after the jump plus comments from the filmmakers on protecting the legacy, embracing 3D CGI, and visiting Snoopy's fantasy world.
Following up on the belief that now is the right time for a new Peanuts movie, Craig Schulz hopes to put any doubts to rest in the USA Today feature:
"I'm way more protective than my father would have been. Our No. 1 goal was always to be authentic to his work and legacy."
Regarding the plot, Schulz only noted, "It's about a round-headed kid and his dog, and that's about as far as I'm willing to go." But a few details surfaced:
- Charlie Brown's lifelong crush the "Little Red-Haired Girl" will make an appearance.
- Martino says the detailed animation will show that "Snoopy has soft-white fur."
- "We're going to fly with Snoopy in his fantasy world. We have a bigger canvas. Bill Melendez got Snoopy off the ground in the TV specials. We're going to take it a step further." –Martino
As for the 3D, Schulz believes his father would have "embraced the technology." Schulz elaborates:
"It would have been absolutely logical for him to have come onboard. And it brings you closer into the comic strip."
Feig says everyone involved with the production wants to remain true to the "sweet optimism" of the original material, promising:
"Snoopy will not be rapping, no one will be twerking, we're in good hands."
I am wary, but it could be fun to revisit this world with a new lens, so I hope Blue Sky, Feig, and the Schulzes can deliver.
Peanuts is scheduled for release on November 6, 2015. Click on the images to enlarge.
