“The Little Prince” (“Le Petit Prince” in French) is an upcoming French animated fantasy film directed by Mark Osborne (of “Kung Fu Panda” fame). Irena Brignull (of “The Boxtrolls” fame) wrote the script based on the 1943 novel of the same name by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s novella “Le Petit Prince” is one of the most famous works of French literature of all time: a partially autobiographical fable about a pilot whose plane crashes in a desert, where he meets a small prince who has come to Earth as part of an adventure around the universe.
Brought to life on page by the author’s watercolour illustrations, “The Little Prince” has been adapted countless times into a variety of different media, including radio plays, films, operas and even a graphic novel.
And now, a Pixar-esque CGI style film. The “The Little Prince” film uses stop motion animation for the novel’s story and computer animation for an additional frame narrative. Aside from the director and screenwriter this was an almost entirely French production, and it will release in France first.
The story centres on a fearless and curious child prodigy (voiced by Mackenzie Foy, of “Interstellar” fame) who lives with her equally academically talented yet overachieving mother (voiced by Rachel McAdams). After moving into a new neighbourhood, the girl meets her next door neighbour “The Aviator” (voiced by Jeff Bridges), an old yet eccentric and mischievous man.
Soon, she discovers the story of The Little Prince (voiced by Riley Osbourne), a story of a pilot who crashes in a desert where he meets the titular boy from a distant planet, a story that brings the girl and the Aviator together on an extraordinary adventure.
The English language voice cast is as follows:
- Riley Osborne … The Little Prince
- Marion Cotillard … The Rose
- Mackenzie Foy … The Girl
- James Franco … The Fox
- Rachel McAdams … The Mother
- Jeff Bridges … The Aviator
- Benicio del Toro … The Snake
- Ricky Gervais … The Conceited Man
- Paul Giamatti … The Teacher
- Albert Brooks … Businessman
- Bud Cort … The King
Watch the official trailer here:
Are you crying tears of joy yet? The film it slated to be released in France on 7th Oct.
For more information, visit the movie’s Facebook page.