Charlie Brown’s pen pal is finally revealed in the animated movie “Snoopy Unleashed”
Charlie Brown began writing to a
pen pal not long after the comic
strip “Peanuts” debuted in
newspapers back in 1950. No one
has gotten a look at whoever was on
the other end of his letters — until
now.
Her name is Mia, and she’s a young girl from London of South Asian descent who uses a wheelchair. She glides into the spotlight in the animated movie “Snoopy Unleashed,” coming to Apple TV, helping Charlie Brown, Snoopy and gang explore what being a pal is really about.
“The story is really about what real friendship is about, and I think that continues to be relevant not only to kids, but adults,” says producer Bonnie Arnold. “True friends love you for who you are. And that’s something that we not only have to learn as kids, but we have to remind ourselves as we become teenagers and young adults and adults and even in older age,” she added.
Mia’s arrival
In the 80-minute movie, Mia makes a surprise visit to a suddenly flustered Charlie Brown, who has to live up to the curated version of himself that he has presented in his letters. His relationship with Snoopy is then strained, and the dog bolts for a nearby city. Naturally, Charlie Brown and the gang give chase. With Mia, the creators wanted to birth someone as dierent from Charlie Brown as possible — a girl, not from a suburb or a rural town, who moves through the world dierently, without a pet, and someone with confidence.
“Charlie Brown is probably one of the most insecure human beings that we know. That’s what makes him charming. It’s how we see ourselves in him. So we felt that we wanted Mia to be more comfortable with who she is,” says director Steve Martino, adding: “A big part of her role in the movie is to be a mirror to Charlie Brown, to journey with him and to reflect some things that he couldn’t see himself.”
In the city, Mia is more comfortable than Charlie Brown and the gang, who are fish out of water, like encountering their first revolving door with amazement. The jazz score grows more frenzied as the children navigate honking trac and the urban energy.
Snoopy’s POV
Snoopy’s trip to the city also introduces another new character: a nameless, gold-haired stray mutt who becomes his opposites-attract pal, like Mia and Charlie Brown. “Snoopy definitely is more of a human-type character. He walks on twos and not fours,” says Arnold. The stray, on the other hand, “walks on fours, he barks, he pants, he’s more doglike, but he befriends Snoopy.”
The script was written by Craig Schulz — “Peanuts” creator Charles M. Schulz’s son — and his own son, Bryan Schulz, along with Cornelius Uliano and Karey Kirkpatrick.
Authentic connections
While viewers today are more familiar with texts, instant messages and social media posts, the moviemakers hope they’ll see the same issues of authenticity and presentation in a story sparked by snail mail letters.
“On social media, we like to curate and project a life that is the very best of who we are. And I thought that was such rich story material to dig into,” says Martino. “We communicate dierently today, but feelings that are universal.” “Peanuts” ran in more than 2,600 newspapers, reaching millions of readers in 75 countries before ending in 2000. Charlie Brown and Snoopy have since thrived in the digital age with fresh specials and series. AP
Her name is Mia, and she’s a young girl from London of South Asian descent who uses a wheelchair. She glides into the spotlight in the animated movie “Snoopy Unleashed,” coming to Apple TV, helping Charlie Brown, Snoopy and gang explore what being a pal is really about.
“The story is really about what real friendship is about, and I think that continues to be relevant not only to kids, but adults,” says producer Bonnie Arnold. “True friends love you for who you are. And that’s something that we not only have to learn as kids, but we have to remind ourselves as we become teenagers and young adults and adults and even in older age,” she added.
Mia’s arrival
In the 80-minute movie, Mia makes a surprise visit to a suddenly flustered Charlie Brown, who has to live up to the curated version of himself that he has presented in his letters. His relationship with Snoopy is then strained, and the dog bolts for a nearby city. Naturally, Charlie Brown and the gang give chase. With Mia, the creators wanted to birth someone as dierent from Charlie Brown as possible — a girl, not from a suburb or a rural town, who moves through the world dierently, without a pet, and someone with confidence.
“Charlie Brown is probably one of the most insecure human beings that we know. That’s what makes him charming. It’s how we see ourselves in him. So we felt that we wanted Mia to be more comfortable with who she is,” says director Steve Martino, adding: “A big part of her role in the movie is to be a mirror to Charlie Brown, to journey with him and to reflect some things that he couldn’t see himself.”
In the city, Mia is more comfortable than Charlie Brown and the gang, who are fish out of water, like encountering their first revolving door with amazement. The jazz score grows more frenzied as the children navigate honking trac and the urban energy.
Snoopy’s POV
Snoopy’s trip to the city also introduces another new character: a nameless, gold-haired stray mutt who becomes his opposites-attract pal, like Mia and Charlie Brown. “Snoopy definitely is more of a human-type character. He walks on twos and not fours,” says Arnold. The stray, on the other hand, “walks on fours, he barks, he pants, he’s more doglike, but he befriends Snoopy.”
The script was written by Craig Schulz — “Peanuts” creator Charles M. Schulz’s son — and his own son, Bryan Schulz, along with Cornelius Uliano and Karey Kirkpatrick.
Authentic connections
While viewers today are more familiar with texts, instant messages and social media posts, the moviemakers hope they’ll see the same issues of authenticity and presentation in a story sparked by snail mail letters.
“On social media, we like to curate and project a life that is the very best of who we are. And I thought that was such rich story material to dig into,” says Martino. “We communicate dierently today, but feelings that are universal.” “Peanuts” ran in more than 2,600 newspapers, reaching millions of readers in 75 countries before ending in 2000. Charlie Brown and Snoopy have since thrived in the digital age with fresh specials and series. AP
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