"Peanuts" movie in development for November 2015 release

[Drtooth]

So...there's apparently a new Snoopy cartoon series I never heard about until I stumbled upon this Japanese CN ad.

Now, going by the copyright, this thing was from last year. I can't tell if this is an actual TV series or a series of interstitials, but it looks like it came from France by that copyright date. They look like something that should have been on the internet, but not quite. Maybe these were motion comics for the Peanuts website and/or they were animated in France for for foreign consumption. Whatever it is, I dunno.

 

[KremlingWhatnot]

H

So...there's apparently a new Snoopy cartoon series I never heard about until I stumbled upon this Japanese CN ad.

Now, going by the copyright, this thing was from last year. I can't tell if this is an actual TV series or a series of interstitials, but it looks like it came from France by that copyright date. They look like something that should have been on the internet, but not quite. Maybe these were motion comics for the Peanuts website and/or they were animated in France for for foreign consumption. Whatever it is, I dunno.[/QUOTE

Yes, it's a new cartoon series that did originate from France. There more so short format cartoons. Usually running for I think 4-7 minutes if I remember correctly. I remember reading about it on Cartoon.Brew a couple of months ago.

 

[Teheheman]

Kids reacting to the trailer and react mainly the same as I did. Although, I didn't care for Snoopy actually flying his house. I mean, it happened in the comic strips and cartoon movies, etc. But you never saw it actually fly across Paris. It was only implied. I preferred it that way.

Daniel

 

[Drtooth]

H Yes, it's a new cartoon series that did originate from France. There more so short format cartoons. Usually running for I think 4-7 minutes if I remember correctly. I remember reading about it on Cartoon.Brew a couple of months ago.

You'd think that, being Peanuts, it would have been a bigger news story all over the internet. But it wasn't.

Strange.

 

[D'Snowth]

I can tell from all that I'm seeing associated with the new movie that Snoopy and Woodstock's sounds are pretty much old library recordings: the sound quality (mono) doesn't match the sound quality of everything else (stereo). Trying to convert older stereo sound recordings, sadly, seems to only emphasize their age - it's like how they try to digitally color something that was previously filmed in black-and-white: the results are mediocre and middling at best.

 

[CensoredAlso]

OK finally watched the trailer. Actually, Charlie Brown's speech at the beginning was spot on, a good sign!

The use of that song in the trailer kinda makes me cringe, what happened to jazz? It's not like kids are going to recognize that song, so why use it? And the charm of Peanuts is that these were little kids who said adult things. I hope there's a least a little bit of that. But on the bright side, it doesn't look like they're going for too much lowest common denominator humor! And the voices are surprisingly spot on!

Kids reacting to the trailer and react mainly the same as I did.

I will say the kids' reactions were sweet. Nice to know these characters are still familiar to them! I'm sure it helps that their holiday specials are still shown every year. And their various movies and specials are still pretty easy to find. And over the years they never strayed too far from the original spirit. Other franchises should take note.

 

[Drtooth]

The use of that song in the trailer kinda makes me cringe, what happened to jazz? It's not like kids are going to recognize that song, so why use it? And the charm of Peanuts is that these were little kids who said adult things. I hope there's a least a little bit of that. But on the bright side, it doesn't look like they're going for too much lowest common denominator humor! And the voices are surprisingly spot on!

Trailers usually use music that's not associated with the movie for marketing purposes. I remember back when they'd just reuse key scores from other films because they were easier to get and the film in question didn't actually have its score finished yet. There was such a habit of using the Beetlejuice score for unrelated kid's films, I'm not kidding. Maybe they desperately wanted some Danny Elfman sounding stuff and couldn't get him to score the films? Think they even used the Pee Wee's Big Adventure breakfast scene score sometimes as well.

But if there's one thing I'm incessantly grateful for, it's that none of the Peanuts trailers so far have used the tried and true animal movie standby songs "Who let the Dog's Out" or "Atomic Dog." When they produced so many dumb talking dog movies, they wore those two out. And I feel sorry for George Clinton that one of his later hits will forever be associated with crummy dog butt smelling and pooping on things jokes. Not so much the Baha Men. Nothing they could do would make that song worse.

Aside from that, seems Peanuts Movie will be the next McDonald's promotion. They haven't had a Snoopy promotion in decades (BK had a strange one about a decade ago, and Wendy's had a couple a while back). The toys look nice for kid's meal prizes. Seems they even have a Peppermint Patty toy, yet no Marcie. Pepps and Marcie were always two of my favorites. Also, Target supposedly has some exclusive Pop vinyls that include Olaf, Snoopy's brother. I dunno if they also have a Spike, but that would be great. Spike always got the short end in the merchandising.

Bet this film's going to be a major hit in Japan.

 

[Muppet Master]

Looks pretty true to the original specials, though that may be its one flaw, that by trying to be so much like the classics it seems like we are getting the same stuff in a different format, whtaever still better than Smurfs or Alvin or something, really doesn't go all hip and modern, this might be a reboot that actually works, hopefully much better than that awful Happiness is a Warm Blanket special, looks like a great film.

 

[CensoredAlso]

But if there's one thing I'm incessantly grateful for, it's that none of the Peanuts trailers so far have used the tried and true animal movie standby songs "Who let the Dog's Out"

Oh God yes, I second that!

 

[CensoredAlso]

might be a reboot that actually works

They do seem to avoiding the worst of the reboot tropes. In any case, I'm not expecting miracles. I doubt we're going to get that moody, meandering quality their earlier projects had. Hollywood just doesn't do that anymore with its corporate branded kid's movies. Like remember in "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," how much time is spent with Snoopy as the WWI flying ace, with that forlorn, atmospheric music? I can picture executives saying it's too slow and not "happy" enough, and kids won't know what WWI is (and God forbid we challenge our audience).

Ironically, execs in the 1960s predicated A Charlie Brown Christmas would bomb and were shocked (though delighted) to be proven wrong. They really need to stop listening to themselves, lol.

One thing that kinda puzzles me. Is this the first Peanuts movie that actually has the word Peanuts in the title? In the past, it was always "Something Something, Charlie Brown!" or occasionally Snoopy. Maybe they're thinking, "Oh kids won't know Charlie Brown." But judging from the reactions from that kid's video a few posts back, kids do seem to know who Charlie Brown is. And in any case, what makes them think unknowing kids will be attracted to the word Peanuts instead?