Sony green-lights sequel to sleeper hit ‘Peter Rabbit’

It’s official: Sony has green-lit a sequel to the surprise hit CG/live-action hybrid Peter Rabbit.

The sequel is currently slated for release on February 7, 2020 in the U.S. and on March 27, 2020 in the U.K. The first film, released this February in the US, was a quiet box office hit with total earnings of almost $115 million. Peter Rabbit has proven even more successful in the UK, garnering a total of $55.6 million thus far, making it Sony Pictures’ most financially successful non-Bond release to date in that country. It currently falls behind only Black Panther in U.K. box office totals for the year.

The film has more than recouped its reported $50 million budget, with worldwide earnings standing at over $325 million.

Peter Rabbit was directed by Will Gluck, who will also be penning and directing the sequel, and based off the classic stories by Beatrix Potter. Stars included Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson, and Sam Neill, with voice work provided by James Corden as Peter, Margot Robbie as Flopsy, Elizabeth Debicki as Mopsy, and Daisy Ridley as Cottontail.

Sony moved an untitled animation project produced by Phil Lord and Chris Miller of The LEGO Movie up to January 10, 2020 to make room the following month for Peter Rabbit 2.

Other titles in Sony Pictures Animation’s upcoming lineup include Hotel Transylvania 3 this July, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Dec. 14), the Jackie Chan co-produced Wish Dragon (July 26, 2019), and Lin-Manuel Miranda musical Vivo (Nov. 6, 2020).

(via Cartoon Brew and Animation Magazine)

What do you think of this announcement? Does the financial success of Peter Rabbit warrant a sequel?

Edited by: Morgan Stradling