Sony Pictures has released the new trailer and poster for Peter Rabbit, which offers much more footage than the first trailer released back in late September. In the original stories by author Beatrix Potter, the beloved rabbit had quite the rivalry with Mr. McGregor, which is certainly put on display in this trailer, but there is quite an interesting twist. This trailer offers our first look at Rose Byrne's character Bea, who may in fact be author Beatrix Potter.
Peter Rabbit, the mischievous and adventurous hero who has captivated generations of readers, now takes on the starring role of his own irreverent, contemporary comedy with attitude. In the film, Peter's feud with Mr. McGregor (Domhnall Gleeson) escalates to greater heights than ever before as they rival for the affections of the warm-hearted animal lover who lives next door (Rose Byrne). James Corden voices the character of Peter with playful spirit and wild charm, with Margot Robbie, Elizabeth Debicki, and Daisy Ridley performing the voice roles of the triplets, Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail. The voice cast also includes Sam Neill as the Older McGregor, plus singer/actress Sia in an unspecified role.
We got our first look at Peter Rabbit way back in December, but this new trailer sheds even more light on the story. While we don't have confirmation yet that Rose Byrne's Bea is actually Beatrix Potter, Peter and the other rabbits are clearly under her care, which gets complicated when she becomes romantically involved with Mr. McGregor, who still wants to get rid of these rabbits. The trailer shows that Bea is also a painter, and the real Beatrix Potter was also a well-known painter who studied watercolors, so it's possible that this movie is blending parts of the Peter Rabbit stories with the real-life traits of its author.
Will Gluck (Annie) directs Peter Rabbit from a script the director co-wrote with Rob Lieber (Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day). The director also produces alongside Zareh Nalbandian, with Jodi Hildebrand and Emma Topping serving as executive producers. Sony has issued a February 9, 2018 release date, which could be fruitful considering it's going up against some high-profile competitors, none of which are exactly family films. Also opening on that date is Universal's highly-anticipated Fifty Shades Freed, which brings the Fifty Shades trilogy to a close, alongside Warner Bros.' drama The 15:17 to Paris and Entertainment Studios' action-thriller The Hurricane Heist.
The Peter Rabbit character was first created by Beatrix Potter in 1893, in a rather unconventional manner. The author created the character and wrote this first story, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, as part of a letter to five-year-old Noel Moore, the son of Potter's former governess Annie Moore. Since the young boy had fallen ill, Beatrix Potter wrote him this story to help lift his spirits, which included a number of sketches that illustrated the narrative. A decade later in 1903, a trade edition of that story was published by Frederick Warne & Co, with over 28,000 copies of the story in print that year alone. As of 2008, The Tale of Peter Rabbit sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, and the entire Peter Rabbit series has sold more than 150 million copies. Take a look at this new trailer and poster for this animated movie, courtesy of Sony Pictures YouTube.
