Michael Cavna talks to Craig Schulz about the new Peanuts movie. The result is a very long and in-depth story about how the family selectively picked the animation studio and efforts to stay true to the strip.
Amid this lasting appeal, the cartoonist?s son had a short-format concept for a ?Peanuts? film. And once he had the idea down, he turned to the third generation. ?I was happy to show my son,? Craig says of Bryan Schulz, a screenwriter. ?He showed me how to make it bigger ? how to blow it up more ? and he helped me put in structure.?
Craig Schulz, though, proceeded with caution. 2015 will mark the 65th anniversary of the launch of ?Peanuts? by United Feature Syndicate, and it is dicey to tamper with the legacy of, and love for, Charles ?Sparky? Schulz?s institution of a creation.
?Nobody is more protective of the comic strip than myself,? Craig Schulz tells The Post?s Comic Riffs of his father?s brainchild. ?The only one who would be more protective is Jeannie? Schulz, widow of the ?Peanuts? creator.
One question someone brought up in the comments in an earlier post on the topic of the trailer that I wish Michael had asked is why the Schulz team are using Peanuts in the title instead of Sparky’s preferred use of “Charlie Brown.”
Here’s the trailer and the discussion if you missed it earlier.