The Little Prince (2015 film)
| Company type | Animated film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film industry |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Founder | Mark Osborne (director) |
| Products | Animated feature film |
| Parent | ON Animation Studios, Mikros Image |
The Little Prince (; ) is a 2015 French animated fantasy adventure comedy-drama directed by Mark Osborne, adapted from the 1943 novella by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The voice cast includes Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, Paul Rudd, Bud Cort, Marion Cotillard, Benicio del Toro, James Franco, Ricky Gervais, Paul Giamatti, Riley Osborne, Albert Brooks, and Mackenzie Foy. This film represents the first feature-length animated version of The Little Prince.
The movie merges stop motion animation with a framing story about a young girl who encounters the now-elderly aviator narrator, who recounts his meeting with the Little Prince after crash-landing in the Sahara desert. Animation production was handled by ON Animation Studios alongside Mikros Image.
Debuting out of competition at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival on 22 May, the film was released in French cinemas on 29 July through Paramount Pictures and later in Italy on 1 January 2016 via Lucky Red. Although initially planned for a US theatrical release on 18 March 2016, budgetary constraints canceled this, with Netflix securing distribution rights for the US, UK, and Australia, ultimately releasing it on 5 August 2016.
The film received critical acclaim for its visual style and its respectful tribute to the original work. It earned $97.6 million worldwide against a €75 million budget, making it the most commercially successful French animated feature internationally.
The production was dedicated to Jake Eberts and director Mark Osborne’s mother, both of whom passed away prior to the film’s release.
Plot
A young mother relocates to a new neighborhood and imposes a rigorous schedule on her daughter aimed at gaining admission to the elite Werth Academy, leaving no room for leisure or friendships. The girl becomes intrigued by her elderly neighbor, a retired Aviator, who shares his tale of meeting the "Little Prince" after crashing in the Sahara. The Little Prince requested a sheep; unable to draw it properly, the Aviator instead sketches a box containing one, which satisfies him and initiates their friendship.
The Little Prince originates from "Asteroid B-612," which is overrun by sprouting baobabs. After clearing them away, he tends to a rose until it blooms. Despite their bond, their immaturity and self-centeredness cause them to part ways. The Little Prince journeys across various asteroids encountering adults such as a King, a Conceited Man, and a wealthy Businessman. On Earth, he befriends a red fox who teaches him to "look with his heart." The Aviator gives the girl a stuffed Fox before departing in search of the Little Prince.
As the girl’s mother increases her academic demands due to perceived neglect, the girl persists in reading the story and visiting the Aviator to learn its conclusion. The Aviator reveals that the Little Prince died from a venomous snakebite to reunite with his Rose but expresses hope that he succeeded. Disturbed by this somber ending, the girl attempts to suppress the story and focus on her obligations.
With summer ending, the Aviator is hospitalized. Resolute in making amends, the girl sneaks into his yard and pilots his repaired plane into space carrying the stuffed Fox and pages of the story. They discover stars missing from the sky and land on an asteroid owned by the Businessman, who hoards stars to fuel his asteroid and workforce. After encounters with a policeman and an elevator operator—representing the Conceited Man and King—they locate the Little Prince, now an anxious adult janitor named "Mr. Prince," who has no recollection of his past.
Mr. Prince brings the girl to an academy where adults undergo "reconditioning" via a machine overseen by a Teacher. Recognizing his sheep-in-a-box drawing from the Aviator’s pages triggers Mr. Prince’s memory recovery; he then rescues the girl by trapping the Teacher inside the machine.
They escape together and liberate all stars from the Businessman’s vault, restoring them to their place in the sky. Returning with Mr. Prince to B-612 reveals dead baobabs and a wilted Rose. When Mr. Prince sees her image at sunrise, his youth and hope are restored as the baobabs disappear.
The girl and Fox return home; she visits the hospitalized Aviator to apologize and presents him with her completed rendition of The Little Prince story. She begins her studies at Werth Academy and reconciles with her mother. Together they gaze at stars while laughter echoes between Asteroid B-612’s Little Prince and Aviator.
Voice cast
- Riley Osborne voices the Little Prince,[1] an eternally youthful boy hailing from "Asteroid B612"
- Mackenzie Foy as the Little Girl, an intelligent and curious child navigating the balance between childhood and maturity
- Jeff Bridges as the Aviator, a retired pilot who forms a friendship with the Little Prince and guides the Little Girl
- Rachel McAdams as the Mother, a devoted and busy parent focused on her daughter’s well-being
- James Franco as the Fox, a red fox whom the Little Prince befriends and tames
- Marion Cotillard as the Rose, a beautiful flower cherished by the Little Prince
- Benicio del Toro as the Snake, a cunning and venomous serpent encountered by the Little Prince
- Albert Brooks as the Businessman, a greedy star owner who profits from accumulating more stars
- Paul Giamatti as the Academy Teacher, who operates an institution turning children into workaholics
- Bud Cort as the King, an unreliable asteroid ruler who later works as an elevator operator for the Businessman
- Ricky Gervais as the Conceited Man, obsessed with his own personality and later employed as a police officer for the Businessman
- Jacquie Barnbrook as the Nurse attending to the Aviator in hospital
- Marcel Bridges as the Concerned Neighbor intrigued by the Aviator’s presence
- Jeffy Branion as the Policeman who repeatedly detains the Aviator
Development
On 14 October 2010, Mark Osborne, known for co-directing Kung Fu Panda, was appointed to direct The Little Prince, adapted from the 1943 classic novel. The screenplay was penned by Irena Brignull (The Boxtrolls) and Bob Persichetti based on Osborne’s story. Producers included Aton Soumache, Alexis Vonarb, and Dimitri Rassam, with an estimated budget between $70–80 million targeting a 2015 release.
The adaptation introduces a new narrative frame not present in the original book: a young schoolgirl discovers The Little Prince via her reclusive elderly neighbor. Osborne chose to make this central character a girl after insights from the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media revealed gender imbalance in animation. She represents "the spirit of adulthood," marking a departure from historically male-focused animated protagonists—a shift Osborne called revolutionary when first suggested.
The film employs dual animation techniques: computer-generated imagery depicts the girl’s real-world environment, while stop-motion animation illustrates The Little Prince's fantastical realm. Storyboarding and development took place in Paris, with final animation, lighting, coloring, and production completed in Montreal to benefit from French-Canadian tax incentives. This international co-production involved Onyx Entertainment (Paris), Mediaset and Lucky Red (Italy), alongside Mikros Image Canada (Montreal). Associate producer Brice Garnier of Canada’s Kaibou Production contributed line and service production for both 3D animation and stop-motion segments, also providing financing through tax credits and gap funding. Studio partners included Studio Mikros Image Canada, Toutenkartoon Canada, and Technicolor for post-production services.
To promote the project globally, Osborne utilized a "magic suitcase" filled with handcrafted visual aids created by model maker Joe Schmidt (known for Coraline). This suitcase featured an art book, illuminated miniature planets, 3-D slide viewers displaying stop-motion puppets, and a replica of Saint-Exupéry's manuscript—an essential plot device. Over four years, Osborne presented this concept nearly 400 times to actors, artists, and distributors worldwide.
Casting
On 5 June 2013 it was announced that James Franco, Marion Cotillard, Mackenzie Foy, Benicio del Toro, Paul Giamatti, Rachel McAdams, and Jeff Bridges had joined the cast. On 12 September, Albert Brooks was added to voice The Businessman, portrayed as an antagonist.
Osborne’s persuasive pitch combined with Saint-Exupéry's global literary appeal attracted several high-profile performers. He explained: "Jeff Bridges was our initial and sole choice for the Aviator role. After considerable effort, I met him in Santa Barbara; he was captivated by our presentation, which set us on course to assemble an ideal cast." Bridges found appeal in Osborne's approach that treated the book almost like another character and offered a fresh homage to this timeless tale.
During early production phases, Osborne’s children Maddie and Riley provided temporary scratch voices for respectively the Little Girl and Little Prince. As Maddie’s voice matured beyond suitability, 12-year-old Mackenzie Foy replaced her role. Riley continued voicing The Little Prince due to no superior alternative; his natural performance received praise.
For portraying the complex character of the Little Girl’s Mother, Rachel McAdams was cast—her debut in animated voice acting. McAdams expressed enthusiasm about participating in this project and commended director Osborne’s vision. She described her character as a working single mother with strict expectations for her daughter’s future; their relationship evolves from close initially to strained over time.
Music
Hans Zimmer composed the film score alongside Richard Harvey; Zimmer had previously collaborated with Osborne on Kung Fu Panda. French vocalist Camille contributed songs to the soundtrack. Lily Allen performed a cover of Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know," which featured in promotional material for France but was absent from the official soundtrack release.
For Japan’s version of the film, Yumi Matsutoya composed an original theme song titled "Kidzukazu Sugita Hatsukoi."
Marketing
Warner Bros. Pictures Japan unveiled a teaser on 11 September 2014. Paramount Pictures followed with France’s first trailer on 8 December 2014 and released an English-language trailer shortly after on 12 December 2014. The official English trailer alongside promotional posters debuted on 20 April 2015. eOne Canada issued another trailer on 13 November 2015. Paramount and Netflix released full-length American trailers on 25 November 2015 and 26 May 2016 respectively.
To engage Japanese audiences further, Kyoko Kimura created a one-shot manga adaptation published in December 2015's issue of Ribon magazine; it incorporated original story elements to deepen characterization of the protagonist.
Release
The Little Prince had its world premiere out of competition at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival on 22 May 2015. It made its United States debut at the Santa Barbara Film Festival on 3 February 2016—becoming notably the first animated feature to open that festival’s Big Surprise Celebration since its inception in 1985.
International sales were handled by Wild Bunch. Theatrical releases included France on 29 July 2015 via Paramount Pictures, Italy on New Year’s Day 2016 through Lucky Red, Quebec on 12 February via Entertainment One (eOne), followed by broader Canadian distribution on 11 March. In territories such as UK, Australia, and New Zealand—initially acquired by The Weinstein Company—the film premiered on Netflix starting 5 August 2016. Distribution in Austria, Germany, and Japan was managed by Warner Bros..
Initially scheduled for US theatrical release by Paramount Animation on 18 March 2016 in RealD 3D format, Paramount withdrew this launch just one week beforehand. Reports suggested French producers declined to pay an additional $20 million required for North American prints and marketing costs; however Paramount retained regional distribution rights. Subsequently Netflix partnered with Paramount to launch it as their first animated Netflix Original in North America on 5 August 2016. The film quietly exited Netflix US in May 2021 when its license expired; rights reverted back to Paramount Pictures.
Home media
Paramount Home Entertainment released The Little Prince on DVD and Blu-ray formats on 9 February 2021—six years following its initial global debut.
Reception
Box office
With total earnings of $97.6 million worldwide—including $12.1 million from France alone—The Little Prince stands as France's most successful animated export to date.
During its opening week across France, it garnered $3.3 million from screenings at 727 theaters, debuting at number two nationally. Its second weekend brought in an additional $1.4 million from an increased count of 830 screens; cumulatively earning $5.5 million within two weeks.
In Brazil, it opened at second place behind Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, selling approximately 330,000 tickets initially. By its second weekend it rose to first place with over 851,000 tickets sold—making it Brazil’s first non-American animated film to top box office charts there. It maintained this leading position for three consecutive weeks while accumulating over R$27 million (approximately US$7.14 million) by early October; surpassing two million admissions by mid-October.
Opening in China on 16 October yielded $10.9 million during its debut weekend ranking third behind Ant-Man and Goodbye Mr. Loser. Within ten days it grossed $20.9 million; reaching $24 million by its third weekend with total receipts of CNY158.45 million—establishing China as its largest market globally. The film also claimed number-one box office status during its second weekend in Japan.
Critical response
Critics generally praised The Little Prince for its distinctive animation style and respectful tribute to its literary source material. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of Template:RT data, based on Template:RT data reviews with an average score of Template:RT data out of ten. The critical consensus reads: "Beautifully animated and faithful to the spirit of its classic source material, The Little Prince is a family-friendly treat featuring captivating visuals alongside a meaningful narrative."
Metacritic assigned it a score of 70 out of 100 based on evaluations from twenty-three critics indicating "generally favorable reviews." Additionally, The Sydney Morning Herald described it as "deeply personal and profoundly moving," emphasizing its sensitive depiction of human nature.
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Honoree(s) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Austin Film Critics Association | Best Animated Film | The Little Prince | Template:Nom |
| César Awards | Best Animated Film | Mark Osborne, Dimitri Rassam, Aton Soumache, Alexis Vonarb, ON Animation Studios | Template:Won | |
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | Best Original Score – Animated Film | Hans Zimmer and Richard Harvey | Template:Nom | |
| 2017 | Annie Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Production Design in an Animated Feature Production | Lou Romano, Alex Juhasz, Celine Desrumaux | Template:Nom |
| Outstanding Achievement, Music in an Animated Feature Production | Hans Zimmer, Richard Harvey, Camille | Template:Won | ||
| British Academy Children's Awards | Feature Film | Mark Osborne, Aton Soumache, Alexis Vonarb, Dimitri Rassam | Template:Won | |
| Visual Effects Society Awards | Outstanding Visual Effects in an Animated Feature | Pascal Bertrand, Jamie Caliri, Jinko Gotoh, Mark Osborne | Template:Nom | |
| Saturn Awards | Best Animated Series or Film on Television | The Little Prince | Template:Nom |