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More green ahead for ‘Peter Rabbit’ as Sony greenlights a sequel

Mopsy (Elizabeth Debicki), Flopsy (Margot Robbie), Benjamin (Colin Moody), Bea (Rose Byrne), Peter Rabbit (James Corden) and Cottontail (Daisy Ridley) in Columbia Pictures' PETER RABBIT.

‘Peter Rabbit.’

Animal Logic Entertainment CEO Zareh Nalbandian always saw the potential for a franchise in the Beatrix Potter properties, and it looks like he was right.

Sony Pictures announced over the weekend it has greenlit a sequel to Peter Rabbit, with writer-director Will Gluck again taking the reins.

Peter Rabbit 2 is scheduled to open in the US on February 7 2020. The studio has already dated the live-action/CGI animated family film for March 27 in the UK, the top market for the original film, where it scored $US55.7 million in four weeks.

In Australia the co-production between Animal Logic Entertainment and Gluck’s Olive Bridge Entertainment has clocked up nearly $26 million in seven weeks.

The worldwide total has reached $US326.7 million including $US114.6 million in the US – a 4.5 multiple of its $US25 million opening weekend.

Rob Lieber and Gluck wrote the screenplay based on the stories of Peter Rabbit created by Beatrix Potter. The film stars Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson, Sam Neill, Daisy Ridley, Elizabeth Debicki, Margot Robbie and James Corden. Deadline.com speculates the cast will return.

Nalbandian tells IF: “Peter Rabbit has been a great success story for Animal Logic and our industry. On the back of the movie’s worldwide success it’s great to see Sony’s show of confidence in announcing and dating the sequel.

“I’m excited about the potential the sequel creates for more groundbreaking animation and many highly skilled jobs in our industry.”