#GoodGrief - If you remember this phrase “Wha, Wha, Wha, Wha, Wha!” you were probably one of those kids that use to read the funny pages growing up. I remember waiting for my mom to come home with the Sunday paper. She would get it to clip coupons, but before she could get to them I was grabbing the paper and taking the funnies out, going to my little area I liked to call my room and see what new things Charlie Brown and the gang got into this time. Is Lucy going to pull the ball away just as Charlie is about to kick it this week? Will we get a Linus meltdown over blanket? I wonder what silly thing Snoopy is going to do this time? I would ask myself all these questions in like 30 seconds before reading to find out.
To young to remember being excited about the funny pages? How about every Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas? Sitting back eating candy or stuffing your face full of turkey or playing with new toys while watching whatever Peanuts special was playing. Yeah… those were the days. Now that I am an adult I try to recreate those memories during the holidays for my kids, which is why I’m pretty excited for The Peanuts Movie that is set to be released November 6th 2015 in wait for it… 3D! Ok you can go change your shorts now I understand.
No seriously this is huge for the Peanuts franchise, as this will be the first time we get to see our favorite Peanuts characters modernized CG style. I always wondered if this would ever happen with all the remakes of older cartoons taking the same route it was bound to at some point right? The story is about Charlie Brown trying to win over the affection of the Little Red-Haired Girl, while Snoopy and Woodstock take on Snoop’s nemesis the Red Baron. Did you know that Snoopy first went up against the Red-Baron in 1965 in the Peanuts comic strips? Did you also know that the Baron never made a physical appearance until he was put into the video game Snoopy Flying Ace: Snoopy vs The Red Baron released in 2006? One is left to wonder if the portrayal of the Red Baron in the movie will be more like the comic strip or like the video game? To answer that question check out the trailer for the movie below.
According to the Peanuts Wiki and from the looks of the official Peanuts website they are sticking as close to the comic strip as possible to give it the same feel as the work of the late great Charles Schulz creator of the Peanuts comics, yet still appeal to a new generation of Peanuts fans. In fact this film will still be kept within the family as both Craig and Bryan Schulz, the son and grandson of Schulz will be writing the script. If that isn’t enough we also will be getting the voices of Noah Schnapp and Bill Melendez. Archived recordings will be used for Bill’s voice as well as archived music from previous Peanuts specials. We can expect to see classic locations such as Charlie’s Skating Pond, his house, and other familiar things like Lucy’s Psychiatrist’s booth, which will still cost a nickel. Of course all the adults will sound the same as they do in the specials (wah-wah trombone sound).
The movie will feature all the characters from the comic strip (no new characters), but who wants or needs new characters? This film will be released to celebrate the anniversary of the comic strip. I’m sure we can expect to see tons of toys and other merchandise when the film hits theaters. I am already excited about the Peanuts POP! figure Funko is releasing, but who else will have licensed products? Well that made me have to take a look around and I found another company that is releasing vinyl figures as well as another that is releasing statuettes.
Medicom is releasing a line of Peanuts Ultra Detailed Vinyl figures that look amazing! They are pretty much perfect recreations of the characters we know and love. The price isn’t too bad either as each figure in this line is $14.99 and stands 3 ½ inches high. They also make 6 ½ inch versions of Snoopy for $69.99.
Enesco is the company behind the statues. They look like they are made from wood, but also appear to be ceramic in nature, which gives it an interesting texture and look. They are well detailed and vary in size as well, but the cost is a bit more than the Medico figures ranging from $29.99-$199.99 or more. I think any of these items would be great to add to a Peanuts collection. Interested in picking any of these up you can do so by hitting this link.
If the movie is a success do you think a series or remakes of the specials will be next? Let me know what your thoughts are by sounding off in our Facebook group or any of our other social media outlets. Stay Toon’d and until next time Go Hard! Go Fast! Go Figure!
Sources: Wiki, Peanuts Movie
Collect: Peanuts Figures + More!