Sony's Peter Rabbit 2 is slated for release in 2020. The original adaptation of the beloved Beatrix Potter tale hopped into theaters in February, and while it was largely overshadowed by the colossal success of Black Panther, it still had an admirable run in its own right as one of the highest-grossing movies of 2018 so far. It grossed $115 million domestically off a reported budget of $50 million, and drew solid reviews, giving Sony enough satisfaction to greenlight the sequel.

The first Peter Rabbit thrived on some impressive visual effects and infectious voice performances from its stacked cast, from titular star James Corden to Oscar nominee Margot Robbie to live-action collaborators Domhnall Gleeson and Rose Byrne. For now, they're all expected to return in Peter Rabbit 2. Now, Sony has earmarked the date for Peter Rabbit's return to theaters - and fans will have to wait a while.

As reported by Deadline on Friday, Peter Rabbit 2 is slated for a February 7, 2020 release date. It's expected to come out alongside titles like Paramount's The Loud House adaptation and a mysterious Warner Bros. release only reported as "Event Film #3". Writer-director Will Gluck is also expected to return and again helm both duties for the sequel. Voice actors such as Daisy Ridley (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) and Elizabeth Debicki (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2) are also expected to return. The worldwide gross for the first Peter Rabbit reached $325 million, giving it an impressive multiplier over its budget and ranking it No. 1 in 22 different territories.

The rabbit siblings in Peter Rabbit

Deadline added that Peter Rabbit 2 will also reach theaters on March 27, 2020 in the U.K., where the original grossed $55.7 million - becoming Sony's biggest non-Bond movie in the country. Additionally, the sequel is replacing an as-yet untitled animated feature from Phil Lord and Chris Miller (The Lego Movie), which was moved to January. 10, 2020. Sony's Escape Room was also handed a release date of November 30.

Peter Rabbit proved to bring enough charm from its cast and a strong nostalgia factor to entertain a large number of families who opted to see it over Black Panther and others at theaters. As long as the new franchise is proving as profitable as it has, earning massively more than its budgets, sequels will continue to be greenlit. It doesn't hurt that it drew mostly favorable reviews, either.

Peter Rabbit was also able to overcome the backlash that the movie suffered over a controversial scene involving a character's blackberry allergy. Some segments of theatergoers weren't happy with the CGI rabbits' motivation to use Thomas McGregor's (Gleeson) allergic reactions against him, accusing the characters of "bullying". But clearly, that controversy wasn't nearly enough to stop Peter Rabbit from becoming a hit, and won't prevent Peter Rabbit 2 from hitting theaters in two years.

More: Peter Rabbit Trailer: Peter is a Troublemaker

Source: Deadline

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