British comedian and talk show host James Corden (Into the Woods, The Late Late Show) brings a perfect balance of mischief and charm as the voice of the eponymous hero in Columbia Pictures’ family adventure Peter Rabbit (in Philippine cinemas February 28).
In Peter Rabbit™, the mischievous and adventurous hero who has captivated generations of readers now takes on the starring role of his own contemporary comedy.
In the film, Peter’s feud with Mr. Thomas McGregor (Domhnall Gleeson) escalates to greater heights than ever before as their fight to gain control of McGregor’s coveted vegetable garden and the affections of the warm-hearted animal lover who lives next door (Rose Byrne) extends to the Lake District and London.
“It was always the dream to have James as Peter; we essentially wrote the role for him,” says director Will Gluck. “He has the ideal combination of exuberance and sweetness and is of course very, very funny.”
A mischief-maker in his own right, Corden puts aside the wit and gets emotional when it comes to playing the impish rabbit in a little blue coat. “It’s a wonderful story that owes everything to Beatrix Potter,” he says. “I felt incredibly honored that [director] Will Gluck thought my voice could lend itself to this adored rabbit. I met a kid who was so excited – he said, ‘You’re going to be Peter Rabbit,’ and I said, ‘No, Peter Rabbit is Peter Rabbit, he just needed a voice for this film.”
Corden adds, “Peter thinks he has power and ability beyond what’s expected of him. He has that confidence and zest for life – the type of rabbit that doesn’t say ‘why,’ he says ‘why not.’”
“Peter had to feel timeless,” says executive producer Jodi Hildebrand. “The key to it was a voice that we wanted to follow on any adventure he chose to go on, and James Corden is that voice and that personality. He’s funny and charming and mischievous, and for us that was the linchpin of bringing Peter to life.”
Corden says, again, it all comes back to the character Beatrix Potter created. “I think Peter gets away with his mischief because of his sweet and adorable nature,” he says. “You just can’t help but smile when you see him.”
Directed by Will Gluck from a screen story and screenplay by Rob Lieber and Will Gluck, based on the characters and tales of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter, the film is produced by Will Gluck and Zareh Nalbandian, with Doug Belgrad, Jodi Hildebrand, and Jason Lust serving as executive producers.
Peter Rabbit is distributed in the Philippines by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International.