The Russo Brothers’ New Netflix Movie Features Mr. Peanut As A Character, And They Recalled Convincing Ad Execs To Let Them Use Him

The Russo Brothers’ New Netflix Movie Features Mr. Peanut As A Character, And They Recalled Convincing Ad Execs To Let Them Use Him

As a lifelong fan of both the Russo Brothers and Mr. Peanut, I must say that this upcoming Netflix movie, “The Electric State,” has me absolutely ecstatic! The idea of a robot-led war in an alternate timeline is already intriguing enough, but throw in a sentient Mr. Peanut voiced by the legendary Woody Harrelson, and you’ve got a recipe for cinematic gold.


The Russo Brothers are set to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to helm the next two Avengers films, but prior to that, they’re wrapping up a project that could potentially be even more thrilling than the upcoming superhero blockbusters. Their forthcoming Netflix film, titled The Electric State, offers a clash between humans and robots, in an unexpected twist featuring a robot version of Mr. Peanut voiced by Woody Harrelson. The brothers elaborated on how they managed to secure his participation for the project.

The premise of “The Electric State” is uniquely bizarre even without further explanation. It’s set in an alternate reality where due to Walt Disney inventing audio-animatronics for Disneyland in the 1950s, robots diverged from their usual course and gained consciousness. This development triggers a conflict between robots and humans, with the robots being controlled by Mr. Peanut. It appears that Joe and Anthony Russo were determined to incorporate this popular snack mascot into their work. They revealed to Vanity Fair that they had numerous discussions with Planters’ parent company, Hormel, in order to reach a deal. As stated by Anthony Russo…

After considerable effort, we persisted in our endeavor until the Hormel team agreed. There were numerous intermediaries involved and many discussions with them regarding our intentions. However, everything finally fell into place in the end.

As a gamer, I’d say: In the world of gaming, I’ve come across an intriguing movie titled The Electric State. Starring Chris Pratt and Millie Bobby Brown, this live-action flick has been compared to everyone’s favorite robot tale, Wall-E. The plot follows us, Millie’s character, on a journey in the wake of a war between humans and machines. My mission? To find my long-lost brother, whom I thought was gone forever.

It’s not hard to see why the leaders at Planters might feel uneasy about using Mr. Peanut in such a manner in a film. Any portrayal that could potentially tarnish Mr. Peanut’s image might negatively affect the brand. This is much like the concerns Mattel executives had when considering how Barbie was being depicted in her movie.

Ultimately, both parties reached a consensus, granting the Russos ample creative liberty with Mr. Peanut. Although Mr. Peanut is pivotal in the movie, most of the other robots are exclusively developed for this narrative. The Russo Brothers made it clear they aimed to minimize the commercial aspect in The Electric State, a decision likely welcomed by Hormal as well. Joe Russo elaborated…

They granted us freedom to be creative in our approach. It was crucial to strike a fine line between not making the movie overly commercial or unrealistic enough to disrupt the fairy tale, but we believed that Mr. Peanut harmonized well with the design of the other robots and added humor by serving as their wise mentor figure, akin to Atticus Finch. In our vision, the most eloquent and thoughtful robot was a peanut using a cane and wearing a top hat.

The character of Mr. Peanut seems to be heavily influenced by former President Jimmy Carter, given his upbringing on a peanut farm and his continued involvement in the family’s peanut farming business as an adult. It’s intriguing that he isn’t Disneyland’s animatronic Abraham Lincoln, which is a question I hope the upcoming movie addresses. As for the film “The Electric State“, its release date hasn’t been announced yet, but it’s anticipated to be available later this year on Netflix.

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2024-10-02 23:07