Gavin Friday’s “Peter and the Wolf” Release Details

Original Story by Aaron J. Sams (2023-09-28)

Updated Information (September 28, 2023):

We have some additional news about the upcoming Peter and the Wolf adaptation, airing this October on Max.

Bono has joined Gavin and Maurice Seezer in writing a new original song for the film. The song titled, “There is Nothing to be Afraid Of” will run over the end credits of the film. The song is performed by Gavin Friday with backing vocals by Karen Cowley and Carlsbad. At this point it appears this song will not appear on the soundtrack album, but we are crossing our fingers and hoping for a digital release.

As well, for those asking about the trailer yesterday, yes, Bono will appear in the film in live action. He will appear at both the start and the end of the film. The scenes we saw yesterday in the trailer (embedded below) are taken from the film.

Original Article (September 27, 2023):

Max (formerly HBO) announced in April that they would be presenting an upcoming animated adaptation of Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf. This new adaptation will be based on the book and performance from 2003 which was narrated by Gavin Friday and illustrated by Bono and his daughters Eve and Jordan. That version of the tale came out in 2003, and 2023 marks the 20th anniversary of its release by Bloomsbury.

This new version is being narrated by and will feature music by Gavin Friday, and the artwork in the animation will be based on Bono’s original art. Gavin Friday’s site shares, “Max and Cartoon Network have greenlit an animated rendition of the beloved classic tale PETER & THE WOLF featuring music and narration by Gavin Friday, and artwork based on original illustrations by Bono. The special transforms Sergei Prokofiev’s much-loved symphony into an enchanting and contemporary visual masterpiece that touches on themes of growing up, loss, courage, transformation, and our relationship with nature. The animated short film is scheduled to premiere later this year and is part of an ongoing relationship with Irish Hospice Foundation.”

Today the release date on MAX has been announced, and the show will debut on October 19 on Max. The trailer for the new Max original version of this old tale can be seen below. Bono makes an appearance at the start of the trailer.

The original fairy tale was written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936. Prokofiev was commissioned by the Central Children’s Theatre in Moscow to write a musical symphony as a way to introduce children to the symphony. Over the years the story has been told many times in a variety of formats, including a 1946 short produced by Walt Disney, a comedic version of the story by Weird Al produced in 1988, an adaptation by National Public Radio in 2001, and a recording in 2004 by the Russian National Orchestra which featured Bill Clinton, Mikhail Gorbachev and Sophia Loren as narrators.

Audio releases of the soundtrack are also planned, in both vinyl and CD formats, as well as streaming on digital services. The music is by Gavin Friday and The Friday-Seezer Ensemble. The release date for the soundtrack is October 20.

The ten tracks available in each format are:

1. Beware, For Wolves Come In Many Disguises
2. The Story Begins
3. The Wolf
4. Now This Is How Things Stood
5. The Victory Parade
6. Beware, For Wolves Come In Many Disguises (Instrumental)
7. The Story Begins (Instrumental)
8. The Wolf (Instrumental)
9. Now This Is How Things Stood (Instrumental)
10. The Victory Parade (Instrumental)

IMAGE: Cover of Peter & the Wolf on Vinyl

The 2xLP version will be pressed on heavyweight black vinyl, and will be half-speed mastered, and will include two 12-inch art prints. The CD is being presented in a “reverse board luxe paper sleeve”. Links to order the album are available here.

Additionally a hardback book is also being published by Dorling Kindersley Ltd, which will be 128pages, and will be released on October 19, 2023. In the press for the book, Bono is quoted as saying, “Gavin’s retelling of the classic Peter and the Wolf story is as original as he is…sometimes a story like this can sneak into your heart and never leave. To see some of my illustrations evolve in this reimagining is a thrill.” The original art was done by Bono with his daughters Jordan and Eve for the original 2003 version of the book and soundtrack.

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