Apple is partnering with the kiddie content company WildBrain and Peanuts Worldwide to create a new CG-animated Peanuts feature film, which will go into production in 2024.
Since 2018, Apple TV Plus has been the exclusive U.S. TV home to the largest library of Peanuts animated shows, including iconic holiday specials It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (with free viewing Nov. 18-19), and A Charlie Brown Christmas (free viewing Dec. 16-17), among others.
The latest addition to the Peanuts franchise follows the departure last month of former Pixar impresario John Lasseter and Skydance Animation, which shifted over to Netflix following the expiration of an output deal with Apple.
It also arrives as Apple once again upped monthly pricing -- to $9.99 a month this time — for its premium SVOD service, Apple TV Plus.
The new film will follow Charlie Brown and his famous beagle, Snoopy, as they adventure to the Big City, meeting some surprising new friends along the way. Two-time Oscar nominee Bonnie Arnold will produce the project alongside Steve Martino, who will return to direct again after 2015’s The Peanuts Movie.
The growing collection of Peanuts specials and series on Apple TV Plus includes Emmy-nominated Snoopy in Space, a series of animated shorts featuring Snoopy as he fulfills his dream of becoming an astronaut. Also featured is The Snoopy Show and Emmy Award-winning documentary Who Are You, Charlie Brown?, honoring the franchise’s creator Charles Schulz.
“With our unmatched library of Peanuts titles, and award-winning collection of stories that bring kids and families together, Apple TV Plus is the preeminent home for Snoopy and friends, and offers a world-class selection of series and films featuring the most globally cherished animated characters,” Tara Sorensen, Apple’s head of children’s programming, said in a statement.
