The Peanuts Movie (Blue Sky Studios)

[TheValentineBros]

Good grief, it's their first movie on the big-screen since 1980!

Source:
http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=95675

The as yet untitled animated event will be released on November 25, 2015. 2015 will mark the 65th anniversary of the debut of the "Peanuts" comic strip and the 50th anniversary of the landmark television special, "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

Twentieth Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios have been chosen by the Schulz family to distribute, produce and animate the new Peanuts movie. Steve Martino will direct; previously, he brought to the big screen (with Jimmy Hayward) Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! Martino also directed (with Michael Thurmeier) Fox's recent box-office smash Ice Age: Continental Drift.

It sounds like a good idea, IF they don't fuck it up. Even though it's a computer-animated version of what we, as well as myself, grew up with and love to death, let's hope it's not a half-assed partially-animated version like Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Smurfs, Garfield, or Transformers.

What do you think? Should this movie be made?

[Sotiris]

Great. More classic cartoon characters will get the creepy CG treatment. The design and animation for the Peanuts characters is so unique and minimal that CG won't be able to do them justice.

[PixarFan2006]

Or it could be worse, they could add a bunch of fart jokes and pop culture references to degrade the characters to a new low (and even make it 3D).

[disneyboy20022]

Or it could be worse, they could add a bunch of fart jokes and pop culture references to degrade the characters to a new low (and even make it 3D).

Or even more worse, a CGI/Live Action Hybrid.

[TheValentineBros]

Or it could be worse, they could add a bunch of fart jokes and pop culture references to degrade the characters to a new low (and even make it 3D).

Or even more worse, a CGI/Live Action Hybrid.

Oh don't worry, I just hope it's not a CGI/Live Action hybrid like some kind of Alvin and the Chipmunks or Transformers.

[Jules]

The design and animation for the Peanuts characters is so unique and "cartoony" that CG won't be able to do them justice.

This. How on earth do you sculpt a CG model of Charlie Brown? I think they'll have to redesign the characters.

[jpanimation]

FOX, the people who brought us the live-action Garfield and Alvin and the Chipmunks.

This. How on earth do you sculpt a CG model of Charlie Brown? I think they'll have to redesign the characters.

I was thinking the same thing. All the characters have button eyes.

Another thing to consider is the animation. Blue Sky has pumped out some of the most beautiful animation I've ever seen but it's also all been cartoony animation. Carlie Brown is know for VERY limited animation, where the characters just stand around talking most of the time. I'm not sure how well this will translate either.

This comes from the studio and director who brought us Horton Hears a Who!, which makes me fear that we'll be seeing the Peanuts gang singing and dancing to pop songs during the credits.

[ajmrowland]

The design and animation for the Peanuts characters is so unique and "cartoony" that CG won't be able to do them justice.

This. How on earth do you sculpt a CG model of Charlie Brown? I think they'll have to redesign the characters.

Not really, but to get the rendering of modern CGI........


Too early to tell, imho. I've imagined stuff like this before, and I cant wrap my head around it, but at least it's not Live Action. We're not automatically headed in the direction of chipmunks and smurfs.

And if it's coming from the creative Talent of Horton Hears a Who, I'm not worried. That movie was good except for the ending which was probably an executive decision more than anything. they have the power to alter scripts as they see fit.

[pap64]

I second what people have said about Horton Hears a Who. Yeah, the movie has some decisions that are odd and clearly influenced by executives, but on the whole movie works and it is by far the best adaptation of a Dr. Seuss story yet (I know it doesn't really have competition since previous adaptations and even the Lorax have been mediocre at best).

Regarding Peanuts, though, the news doesn't phase me as I am not a Peanuts fan (shocker, I know!). However, I have the deep feeling that they will treat this one with A LOT of respect. I know, if other childhood staples like the Smurfs and Alvin and the Chipmunks didn't get the best treatment, what makes Peanuts untouchable? Well, like I said, I am far from being a fan. But from what I've seen, people delight in the series because it is one of those few franchises that represents the best of childhood nostalgia while still having some philosophy to it. In other words, this is a shrine to life.

Having it so that the kids make fart jokes, make pop culture references and such would be going against what made the Peanuts so beloved. Again, this isn't a guarantee since other staples have received inferior adaptations. But I think that if Peanuts is done badly people will be talking about for decades.

[Linden]

I was beyond upset when I first heard this. I'm still upset, but I think a lot of people will be too when it comes out. I can't see people going for CG Peanuts characters. It takes away from them. I think Peanuts is all about simplicity, and a feature-length CG Peanuts flick trying to lure modern audiences simply wouldn't fit the bill.

[Sky Syndrome]

I'd rather have a stop-motion animated Peanuts film. That would be fun to see. I've watched a Peanuts parody on Robot Chicken and it was intriguing seeing stop motion puppets of the kids and Snoopy interacting with each other and with other things.

[ajmrowland]

like I said before too soon to tell. we don't even know what the designs will look like

[TheValentineBros]

I know people are gonna rail at me, but I think Peanuts will be good in CG-format. here's proof.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/60e1UrVn7H8" frameborder="0"></iframe>

[zackisthewalrus]

The first teaser has just been released by FOX. It honestly doesn't look half bad right now. It could be surprisingly good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1FNL_iIp5c

[Old Fish Tale]

The animation looks so good!

[MovieMan995]

This has a pretty neat style of CG going on. I'm guessing it's all animated in stepped keyframes with rigs where you can easily control the shapes of (like a drawing) to emulate the feel of the hand-drawn specials/shorts.

I think they captured the spirit so far. Going to keep an open mind since I enjoyed Epic, Rio, Horton and the first Ice Age, so I believe Blue Sky has what it takes to pull off sentimental fare like this.

[Jules]

Oh my, the animation. *tears of joy* So happy they're not going the "Illusion of Life" route. We can add this film to the growing list of CG films having a stylised or otherwise non-conventional form of animation, either in part or in their entirety. Hotel Transylvania, Wreck-It Ralph and The Lego Movie already belong on that list.

[Linden]

I watched it yesterday and was pleasantly surprised. It looks flatter than most CG, more like 2D. And the trailer is simple. I realise it's just a teaser, and there could still be some cross-country adventure waiting to happen. But as of now, it looks sweet.

[Musical Master]

Now this is the kind of Blue Sky movie I would watch and like.

[HarryCanyon]

The animation looks awesome and can't wait