Lucky Red has announced earlier this week that they picked up the distribution rights of “The Little Prince” (‘Il Piccolo Principe’) in Italy. The movie is expected to be released October 7, 2015 in France, late 2015 in the US and The Wrap recently reported that eOne Films Canada picked the rights for the movie in Canada for a 2016 release. Lucky Red announced they will release the 3D animated movie on January 1, 2016 in Italy and also revealed the roles of the English voice cast. The translated (via google translator) press release can be found below/after the jump:

Lucky Red will bring the highly anticipated film, directed by Mark Osborne (creator of Kung Fu Panda) and adapted from the popular children’s book by Antoine de Saint- Exupéry, to Italian cinemas.

The Little Prince has sold 145 million copies worldwide (16 million in Italy alone) and has been translated into more than 270 languages and dialects 71 after it’s first publication. It’s the most translated book in the world after the Bible!

Universal and timeless values make it a masterpiece narrated in the Saint-Exupéry: the respect for individuals and diversity, protecting the environment, and peace. A passionate story that relentlessly generations of readers of all ages. Made of CGI and stop motion animation with a budget of $ 80 million, The Little Prince is by far the most anticipated animation project next year.

A crew of 250 talents from DISNEY PIXAR and DREAMWORKS to achieve a level of excellence unmatched. To name a few: Peter De Sève (Ice Age, Mulan, A Bug’s Life, Finding Nemo), Lou Romano (Monsters & Co., The Incredibles, Up), Hidetaka Yosumi (Bolt), Bob Persichetti (Monsters vs. Aliens, Wallace & Gromit, Shrek 2, Puss in Boots) , Jason Boose (Lilo & Stitch, Cars, Ratatouille , Wall-E, Up) .

An all-star voice cast for the original version: Oscar winner Jeff Bridges (The Aviator), Mackenzie Foy (the girl), Rachel McAdams (mother), James Franco (the fox), Oscar winner Benicio Del Toro (the snake) , Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard (the rose), Paul Giamatti (the professor) , Albert Brooks (the businessman) , Ricky Gervais (the conceited man) , Bud Cort (the king). The voice of the little prince is Riley Osborne.

The theatrical release is scheduled for January 1, 2016.