Sony On Board Peter Rabbit Movie

CULVER CITY/LONDON: Sony’s Columbia Pictures has teamed up with Frederick Warne & Co., part of Penguin Random House UK, for Peter Rabbit, the first live-action and CG film based on the classic book series.

James Corden signed on to voice Peter, while Rose Byrne will star in the live-action female lead role of Bea. Daisy Ridley and Elizabeth Debicki have also joined the voice cast. The film will be directed by Will Gluck and made at Animal Logic (The LEGO Movie), an Australia-based animation and visual FX production studio. This year marks the 150th anniversary of the book series written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter.

Sony Pictures Entertainment will create and execute a worldwide licensing and merchandising program in connection with the new Peter Rabbit motion picture, in association with Frederick Warne. Production on Peter Rabbit is slated to begin in January 2017. The worldwide release is set for April 2018.

Gluck (Olive Bridge Entertainment) and Zareh Nalbandian (Animal Logic Entertainment) will serve as producers. Doug Belgrad will executive produce. Jodi Hildebrand of Olive Bridge and Jason Lust will also serve as executive producers. The screenplay was written by Rob Lieber, with revisions by Gluck.

Tom Weldon, the CEO of Penguin Random House UK, said, “We at Penguin Random House UK are delighted to be working with Columbia Pictures. As custodians of Beatrix Potter’s brand and legacy, we are excited about the opportunity this production will bring to engage a whole new audience with the world of Beatrix Potter and one of her best-loved characters, the mischievous Peter Rabbit.”

Gluck added: “I am delighted to be teaming up with Frederick Warne. Their expertise and stewardship is absolutely critical to making a film that honors the legacy of Beatrix Potter.”

Nalbandian remarked: “This announcement is the culmination of two years of development at Animal Logic Entertainment, Olive Bridge Entertainment and Columbia Pictures. It has been a great journey bringing Peter Rabbit, his family and many friends to the screen. Peter has fans all over the world, and we’re excited to be working with Will, Columbia and Frederick Warne to make a film to delight audiences globally.”