The theatrical debut of Harold and the Purple Crayon has been delayed. This, however, may turn out to be excellent news. The original release date of the film was just after the new year, but the studio decided to push it back to this summer, June 20, 2023. This may indicate that the studio thinks this new take on the beloved children’s book has what it takes to become the summer’s most talked-about family picture. Since its initial publication in 1955, children and adults alike have been enjoying Crockett Johnson’s original children’s book.
It follows Harold, a little boy of four, as he creates an entirely new universe with the help of his purple crayon. In addition to this live-action film, the novel has already produced nine sequel books, many animated shorts, an animated series, and an impending Broadway musical. The degree to which the film will adhere to the narrative of the novel has not yet been determined. On the other hand, we do know that the film has an impressive roster of A-list actors. Zachary Levi, Lil Rel Howery, Zooey Deschanel, and Ravi Patel are set to feature in Harold and the Purple Crayon. Levi has starred in several successful movies and television shows, including Tangled, Shazam!, and Chuck.
The Angry Birds Movie 2 and Free Guy are just two of Howery’s other family-friendly movies. Deschanel is known for her roles in the popular TV show New Girl and in the animated feature series Trolls. Patel’s cinematic credits include Wonder Woman (1984), Transformers, and the documentaries Meet the Patels and Ravi Patel’s Pursuit of Happiness. Carlos Saldanha helms the film Harold and the Purple Crayon, which he and David Guion and Michael Handelman wrote. Saldanha is making his directorial debut in the live-action film industry with this project. Ice Age, both of its sequels, Robots, Rio, Rio 2, and most recently Ferdinand were all directed by the two-time Oscar nominee.
Dinner for Schmuks, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, and the upcoming Netflix feature Slumberland, starring Jason Momoa, were all written by Guion and Handleman, who are writing partners. John Davis is the man behind the scenes of Harold and the Purple Crayon. On June 20th, 2023, it will be released in theatres, so mark your calendars.