Start brushing up on your Snoopy dance and start working on your exasperated "Oh brother," because Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Woodstock and the rest of the Peanuts gang are headed for the big screen. Word is that Charles Schulz' beloved comic strip characters are set for a feature adaptation, brought to us by Twentieth Century Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studios.
According to Deadline, Fox has secured a deal for the rights to turn Peanuts into an animated feature film franchise. This deal comes after two years of working with the late Charles Schulz' family, and it sounds like they're going to be involved in the film, as the screenplay will be penned by Charles' son Craig Schulz, with Bryan Schulz (Charles Schulz's grandson) and Cornelius Uliano on the writing team as well.
Fans of the comic strip may feel more confident about the project, knowing the screenplay is in the hands of the Schulz family. Meanwhile, Steve Martino has been tapped to direct the movie. Not only did Martino helm Fox Animation's Ice Age: Continental Drift, but he also co-directed Fox/Blue Sky's Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who!, an underrated, charming and funny animated film that also happens to be an adaptation of a story from a beloved artist. So he has some experience working with familiar characters.
As for what the Peanuts film will be about, there's no word just yet, but the project does have a release date already. We should expect to see Charlie Brown and his pals on the big screen November 25, 2015, just in time to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the comic strip, and the 50th anniversary of the TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas.
