Surprising news out of Paramount today after it was revealed that the studio has now pulled the theatrical release of The Little Prince at the 11th hour. Mark Osborne’s stop-motion animation had been pegged for a release today, March 18.
In its place, the long-awaited feature has found a new home at Netflix, with the online giant poised to drop The Little Prince later in 2016. Taking inspiration from Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s beloved 1943 novel – it’s considered a loose adaptation – Osborne’s directorial effort features a combination of stop-motion animation and CGI effects, and began to make waves shortly after its premiere at Cannes International Film Festival last year, where it screened out of competition.
It’s a case of ‘so close, yet so far’ for The Little Prince, though considering that its pulled in close to $100 million since its bow in other territories – not  to mention the small matter of becoming France’s most successful animation overseas – we’re quietly confident that the extended wait will be worth it.
A modern twist on the classic children’s novel by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince tells the story of a pilot who crashes in the Sahara desert (as de Saint-Exupéry was and did in real life) and who meets a young Prince, who lives on an asteroid called B-612. The Prince is currently on Earth as part of a journey to travel the universe, meeting adults on different planets and hearing their stories.
Among the talented voice crew are Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, Paul Rudd, Marion Cotillard, James Franco, Benicio del Toro, Ricky Gervais, Bud Cort, Paul Giamatti, Riley Osborne, Albert Brooks and Mackenzie Foy.
Look for The Little Prince to begin his coming-of-age journey on Netflix at some point later in 2016.
