Netflix Picks up 'the Little Prince' from Paramount for US Distribution
The United States audiences for On Animation's animated film, "The Little Prince," had been eagerly awaiting its premiere domestically after the release of its official trailer in April 2015, which has since then been viewed three million times. Unfortunately for the anticipating fans, it was dropped by Paramount Pictures a week before its supposed US release on March 18. Thankfully, though, it was picked up by the streaming giant Netflix for later release this year.
There was no explanation offered for why Paramount had quietly pulled out the film. To note, the film had been first purchased for stateside distribution by The Weinstein Company before rights were acquired by Paramount.
Netflix has made no official announcement, but the director of the computer-generated, stop-motion animation film, Mark Osborne ("Kung Fu Panda"), gave a confirmation of these changes in a series of posts on Twitter.
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"As it turns out, the much anticipated U.S. release of this special and unique film will have to be anticipated just a little bit more."
The film had been released in France last year in May and was featured at, but did not compete in, the Cannes Film Festival. It was said to have been well-received, grossing close to $81 million worldwide and landing France's Cesar Award for best animated film.
Based on the 1942 French children's classic written by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the characters are voiced by actors Jeff Bridges, Mackenzie Foy, Rachel McAdams, Riley Osborne, Paul Rudd, Marion Cotillard, James Franco, Benicio del Toro, Ricky Gervais, Bud Cort, Paul Giamatti, and Albert Brooks.
The screenplay was written by Irena Brignull and Bob Persichetti, with Jinko Goto and Mark Osborne as executive producers.
This On Studio retelling is not the first film version of the story book. A 1974 adaptation by Stanley Donen which featured Bob Fosse as the Snake extends the running time of the film by the inclusion of songs, considering the limited material in the children's book.
The latest version tells the story by having the book written and illustrated in the present day by an old man, an aviator (Bridges) with his nine-year-old neighbor (Foy) as the reader whose childhood follows a cut-and-dried schedule by her single mom (Rachel McAdams), a well-meaning parent who has mapped out her daughter's life down to the days and hours. This world has been rendered in computer-generated animation.
In contrast, the Little Prince's (Riley Osborne) story as told by the aviator is executed in stop-motion animation rendered aptly, making it easier for the audience to appreciate the transition between the two worlds.
Toward the end of the film, the little girl travels to space to reunite the now-grown Little Prince with his true love, the rose (Cotillard).
