Paramount Animation announced the release dates for several of its animated films in November, including a familiar title, “The Little Prince.” However, a week before its U.S. release on Friday, Paramount dropped the film without warning.
On March 12, Mark Osborne, the film’s Academy Award-nominated director, tweeted that the movie would be released by another distributor later in the year. It was formally announced Thursday that Netflix would pick up the movie in Paramount’s stead.
Originally a novella by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, “The Little Prince” centers on an aviator, who, while stranded in the desert, meets a young boy who came from an asteroid, The Little Prince, who tells his tale. The animated film will have many of the book’s original elements woven into the narrative.
Fans of the book were thrilled when “The Little Prince” was set for a movie deal. The book has been translated into 230 different languages and adapted into numerous media, including plays, ballets and film.
The film will feature a wide array of voice actors, including Mackenzie Foy, Rachel McAdams, Jeff Bridges, James Franco and Paul Rudd.
“The Little Prince” has earned $88.7 million dollars so far, and, according to UniFrance, it is the most successful French animated film abroad. The film is also the first animated adaptation of Saint-Exupery’s work and will be available for viewing on Netflix later in the year.
