Deadline is reporting that the hugely-successful animated children’s series Peppa Pig is heading to the big screen with a live-action / animation hybrid movie entitled Peppa Celebrates Chinese New Year, which is being aimed at the Chinese market.
“There is a huge fan base for Peppa Pig in China, so we’re thrilled with the prospect of bringing the brand’s first ever theatrical release to cinemas in the region in early 2019,” states Olivier Dumont of eOne, which will produce the movie with the Chinese-based Alibaba Pictures. “We’ve worked closely with Alibaba Pictures to create content and cinema-themed merchandise with special cultural significance that will resonate with Chinese audiences. We look forward to delighting Chinese families with an unforgettable cinema experience when the film opens next year.”
“This cooperation is an important opportunity to promote cultural exchange between China and the West,” adds Wei Zhang, president of Alibaba Pictures. “Alibaba Pictures is excited to share China’s traditions and culture with the rest of the world with a new fun filled storyline featuring a character as popular as Peppa. The Peppa Pig series emphasizes the importance of family values, and that is something that will deeply resonate with Chinese audiences. We hope this family film will pave the way for further development of films for young audiences in China,”
Peppa Celebrates Chinese New Year is set for release in China on February 5th 2019. As yet, there’s no word on a Western release.
