Charlie Brown, Snoopy & Gang Head To Big Screen For 65th Anniversary

Those eternal kids from the Peanuts gang will get another turn at the big screen in a project spearheaded by Twentieth Century Fox Animation's Blue Sky Studios. If all goes according to plan, Charlie Brown, Linus, Snoopy and the posse will hit theaters in 2015 with support from the family of Peanuts' late creator Charles Schulz.

The new film's release will coincide with the 50th anniversary of the 1965 television special A Charlie Brown Christmas. The November 25, 2015 target is also in line with the 65th anniversary of Peanuts' debut — talk about eternal youth! Charles Shulz's son Craig and grandson Bryan will write the screenplay alongside Cornelius Uliano, while Ice Age 4: Continental Drift filmmaker Steve Martino is set to direct, according to The Guardian. Details about plot were not disclosed, though a holiday tie-in would not be a surprise.

"We are thrilled to partner with the Schulz family and Iconix and honoured to bring the Peanuts characters to the big screen," Fox Animation's Vanessa Morrison said via a statement. "This all started with our love and respect for the work of Charles Schulz. We thank the Schulz family and Iconix for letting Fox and Blue Sky bring his vision to new generations of filmgoers."

Charles Monroe Schulz's Peanuts comic strip was one of the most popular in the history of the medium, making its first appearance on October 2, 1950. Schulz died in February of 2000 and had said he wished for the strip to end after his death.

United Features, which has ownership of the strip has honored that wish, but syndicates re-runs to newspapers. New television specials have since been produced, but they have been based on previous strips. Schulz had also said that he views Peanuts TV shows as entirely separate from the strip.

[Image: Charles M Schulz/AP]

[Sources: The Guardian, Wikipedia]