Just a few days before "The Little Prince" was set to hit cinemas in the United States, Paramount Pictures has bowed out as its distributor, putting on hold the movie's release.
Director Mark Osborne took to Twitter to confirm the news, releasing a series of tweets about what had happened over the weekend.
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
4/4 - Until then, head to Canada! The film opens there in wide release this weekend! — Mark Osborne (@happyproduct) March 12, 2016
Fans of "The Little Prince" will undoubtedly be bummed by the setback, but the good news at least is that the movie hasn't been completely pulled. Once it finds a new distributor, it will be released, hopefully within the year as Osborne has said.
"The Little Prince is based off a book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery released in 1943. It appeared at the Cannes Film Festival last year and has so far earned about $80 million in the international box office.
Paramount has not released any statement about its decision to cancel the movie's release in the U.S. The adaptation helmed by Osborne has been seen in most of Europe, Asia and South America.
Combining 3D computer and stop motion animation, "The Little Prince" tells the story of a curious child prodigy, a little girl, who meets an eccentric old man and discovers a world where anything is possible. This prompts an emotional and magical journey that allows her to rediscover her childhood and ultimately learn that human connections are the ones that matter the most.
"The Little Prince" boasts of an all-star voice cast including Jeff Bridges as The Aviator, Mackenzie Foy as The Little Girl, Rachel McAdams as The Mother, Marion Cotillard as The Rose, Paul Rudd as Mr. Prince, Benicio Del Toro as The Snake, James Franco as The Fox, Paul Giamatti as The Academy Teacher, Albert Brooks as The Businessman. Bud Cort as The King, Ricky Gervais as The Conceited Man and Riley Osborne as The Little Prince.
