Who said Marvel and DC (read: Disney and Warner Bros.) had to have all the fun when it comes to mapping out film slates? In laying out plans for its animation division, Paramount has nailed down release dates for a number of in-development features, including The Little Prince, SpongeBob Squarepants 3, Monster Trucks and Amusement Park.
Launching first will be The Little Prince, which is now pegged for a theatrical release on March 18, 2016. Directed by Kung Fu Panda helmer Mark Osborne, the animated picture is an adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s classic book, and it’s spent the past few months or so assembling a star-studded line-up. An international voice cast through and through, Osborne’s feature will encompass Mackenzie Foy, Jeff Bridges, Riley Osborne, Marion Cotillard, James Franco, Paul Rudd, Benicio del Toro, Paul Giamatti, Ricky Gervais, Albert Brooks, and Bud Cort.
Collaborating once again with Nickelodeon Movies, Paramount’s next animation feature will be a live-action/CGI hybrid of Monster Trucks. Previously occupying the March 18 spot now held by The Little Prince, today’s announcement confirms Chris Wedge’s picture will debut on January 13, 2017. The voice cast? Jane Levy, Lucas Till, Tom Lennon, Barry Pepper, Amy Ryan, Danny Glover, Holt McCallany and Frank Whaley.
Marking a two-year gap in production, there won’t be another feature coming out of Paramount Animation until February 8, 2019 – that we know of – which now belongs to animated sequel SpongeBob SquarePants 3. Paul Tibbitt takes the reins of this one, which boasts a cast list that includes Tom Kenny, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence, and Mr. Lawrence.
Lastly, Amusement Park is an all-new original feature coming by way of animation veteran Dylan Brown – he’s had a hand in the likes of Ratatouille, Toy Story and Finding Nemo. Now pegged for launch on March 22, 2019, the film will feature the voices of Matthew Broderick, Jennifer Garner, Jeffrey Tambor, Kenan Thompson, Ken Jeong, Mila Kunis, John Oliver, and Brianna Densks.