Apple and its partners at WildBrain have today announced plans for a new Peanuts feature-length movie featuring Snoopy and the gang. The as-yet-untitled project expands the Apple TV+ Peanuts universe, which sees the streamer as the exclusive home of all classic Peanuts specials, as well as new original series and specials.
The new movie will go into production next year, and its announcement shows Apple Original Films remains committed to the animation genre, despite ending its Skydance deal prematurely.
The family film will see Snoopy and Charlie Brown embark on a new adventure to the big city. The script hails from the same writers that were behind The Peanuts Movie (2015), one of the few Peanuts projects that cannot be found streaming on Apple TV+ due to rights issues.
The 2015 film performed well at the box office. It’s unclear if the new Peanuts film in development will get a theatrical release, or if it will be a TV+ exclusive.
Apple’s deal with WildBrain for rights to the Peanuts archive has proved somewhat controversial in past years. The deal saw iconic holiday specials like ‘It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown’ and ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ go behind the Apple paywall. Initially, the backlash saw Apple strike a deal to air the specials on PBS, as well as Apple TV+, but that didn’t happen last year — nor will it this year.
Apple is allowing non TV+ subscribers to watch the specials for free through the TV app during limited time windows. ‘A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving’ will stream free on the TV app on November 18 and 19, and ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ is streaming free December 16, and December 17. These titles and the rest of the Peanuts catalog are available to stream year-round for Apple TV+ subscribers.
As well as popular catalog content, the Peanuts deal sees Apple invest heavily in new Peanuts originals. This year, Apple TV+ aired a new special One-of-a-Kind Marcie and a new season of The Snoopy Show.
In 2024, Apple has already said it will release new Peanuts series ‘Camp Snoopy’ and a new special ‘Welcome Home, Franklin’. A release date for the movie has not been announced.
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