Sony Pictures Entertainment announced they will be acquiring majority ownership of the iconic Peanuts IP, including the beloved characters Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the gang created by Charles M. Schulz.
The purchase price was around $457 million for the 41% stake held by WildBrain in Peanuts Holdings LLC, bringing Sony’s total stake to 80%. The Schulz family continues to have a 20% stake, per Variety.
“Since 2018, SMEJ has been proud to be part of the partnership behind ‘Peanuts,’ an iconic global entertainment brand with a 75-year legacy of delighting audiences worldwide,” Shunsuke Muramatsu, president and group CEO, Sony Music Entertainment (Japan), said in a statement. “With this additional ownership stake, we are thrilled to be able to further elevate the value of the ‘Peanuts’ brand by drawing on the Sony Group’s extensive global network and collective expertise.”
“We are deeply committed to carrying forward the legacy of Charles Schulz and the Schulz family,” he added. “Together with SPE, and backed by WildBrain’s continued partnership, we will continue to embrace new opportunities to ensure that ‘Peanuts’ remains a relevant and beloved presence across generations—reaching new audiences and sharing the timeless charm of the ‘Peanuts’ gang for years ahead.”
Sony said they planned to keep the characters in the spotlight.
“With our combined strengths, we have the unique capability and extraordinary opportunity to protect and shape the future of these beloved characters for generations to come,” Sony Pictures President and CEO Ravi Ahuja said of the acquisition.
Peanuts began as a syndicated daily and Sunday comic strip featuring the misadventures of Charlie Brown and his friends. The comic strip originally ran from 1950 to 2000 and is considered one of the most popular and influential comic strips in history, with 17,897 strips published in all.
Some of the most popular Peanuts projects include the animated holiday specials “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” In 2015, 20th Century Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studios released “The Peanuts Movie.”
