For the cast of The Peanuts Movie, bringing a beloved comic strip to life on the big screen for millions who are new to the Charles Schulz world is an enormous opportunity. “I think it’s such an honor to play Charlie Brown. I’m excited for this generation to learn about Peanuts,” said Noah Schapp.
The Movie Mensch traveled up to Northern California to visit with the entire cast of The Peanuts Movie at the legendary Charles Schulz museum and came away incredibly impressed with the young ensemble and how the importance of legacy was as much a part of the equation as making a movie that is entertaining for all ages.
“It is so amazing to get to play these iconic characters. Our parents grew up with them. So it’s kind of like time to pass it down to kids of the next generation,” said Hadley Belle Miller, who plays Lucy.
For the girl who was tapped to play the Little Red Haired Girl, Francesca Capaldi, she saw first-hand how some of some of her contemporaries had no idea who some of these Schulz created icons were.
“I think it’s really cool because I don’t think everyone knows about them. Some of my friends don’t know who Charlie Brown or Snoopy is and I think it’s really cool for them to…you know, because I love watching the specials,” Capaldi said.
“They’ve seen some specials, but they don’t really know who they are. And I think it’s great for them to be able to see Charlie Brown, and Snoopy, and the whole gang.”
Capaldi even admitted that diving into the world of Peanuts, she still felt a neophyte, even though she was aware of them from watching the specials with her family. “They were kind of new to me. But I love them now. I think Snoopy is adorable. And I love all of the movies and all of the comic strips,” she added.
As you can see from The Peanuts Movie trailer, Charlie Brown and his band of friends are enjoying a snow day, as so many children do, when their world is rocked. A new kid is moving to the neighborhood and for the rest of the movie, the mystery woman will be known as the Little Red Haired Girl. Charlie Brown has an instant crush and her and our hero believes he might just have a chance with her because she does not know about all his previous failures (like kicking a football out of Lucy’s hands, for instance).
When the cast headed into the recording booth, they were keenly aware of the expectations that followed making a Peanuts movie, but where determined to make each voiced character their own.
“I only heard the Lucy voice a couple of times. So I kind of developed my own,” Miller said. “I went in thinking I would get the part of Sally because I thought of myself as Sally. So I tried out for Sally and Lucy. And they said, ‘Your voice sounds exactly like Lucy.’ So I guess I kind of used my normal voice but in a little lower range.”
Schapp felt comfortable to use a voice that was close to his own. “I watched a few original Charlie Brown specials and episodes, Peanuts episodes and stuff. I still sort of used my own voice, and I used it in a slower, lower voice,” he admitted.
Our Little Red Haired Girl, who we should had has really red hair in real life, also auditioned for Lucy and Sally. “I got a callback for Lucy. Then they saw me! Then I became the Little Red Haired Girl,” Capaldi said.
When it comes to what they like most about their characters, each shows why they were perfectly cast. “I love playing Lucy because she is like the complete opposite of me. She’s really bossy and a little misunderstood,” Miller said. “I don’t think I’m like that, luckily. So it’s fun because I love acting. So I get to portray a completely different character.”
Capaldi appreciated tackling a Peanuts character that no one has ever heard from before. “I love playing the Little Red Haired Girl. She’s really sweet and kind. And she’d actually never spoken before, so that was really cool to make her voice,” she admitted.
For Schapp, he showed no signs of nerves when tackling one of the more iconic characters in popular culture. In fact, Charlie Brown seemed to fit him like a glove. “I love playing Charlie Brown because, one, I can relate to him. I never give up and he never gives up,” he said. “It’s awesome to play a person like that because there’s very rare people who never give up and always pursue what they’re doing.”