The Little Prince movie was supposed to be arriving to US theaters today, Friday, March 18, if it wasn’t because Paramount Pictures decided not to distribute it a week before launch, for reasons unknown. Nevertheless, Netflix saw opportunity over the disillusionment that this cancellation brought among fans of the prince from a tiny planet, and acquired the domestic rights of the film. It should be available later this year.
On March 12, Mark Osborne, director and Oscar nominee for Kung Fu Panda (2008), wrote the following on Twitter:
1/3 Many thanks to everyone for the outpouring of love and support in these strange times.
— Mark Osborne (@happyproduct) March 12, 2016
2/3 – 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.
— Mark Osborne (@happyproduct) March 12, 2016
3/3 – All I can say is #thelittleprince will in fact be released by another distributor later this year.
— Mark Osborne (@happyproduct) March 12, 2016
Afterwards, he added a fourth message, inviting the audience for a little trip to Canada:
4/4 – Until then, head to Canada! The film opens there in wide release this weekend!
— Mark Osborne (@happyproduct) March 12, 2016
Netflix is no stranger to rescuing films. It happened with Sony Pictures’ controversial film The Interview, which was removed from multiple theaters on December 2014, after being threatened by hackers. The movie still played in smaller venues and streaming services. It was available (and still is) since Saturday, January 24, 2015, according to BBC.
The Little Prince, an animated film based on Antoines de Saint Exupéry’s book written in 1943, was showcased out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival on May 2015, and has grossed $100 millions internationally (excluding United Kingdom, Australia, Scandinavia and Spain), where it was distributed by several different companies, explained The Hollywood Reporter. On February 2016, it received France’s Cesar Award for Best Animated Film.
The film combines 3D and stop-motion animation, with the talent of voice actors such as Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, Paul Rudd, Marion Cotillard, James Franco and Benicio del Toro.
Paramount Pictures’ international division showed the film in France during the summer of 2015.
