We Finally Know Who Charlie Brown Has Been Writing

Charlie Brown began writing to a pen pal not long after the comic strip Peanuts debuted in newspapers back in 1950. No one has gotten a look at whoever was on the other end of his letters—until now. Her name is Mia, and she's a young girl from London of South Asian descent who uses a wheelchair, per the AP. She glides into the spotlight in the animated movie Snoopy Unleashed, coming to Apple TV in 2027, helping Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the gang explore what being a pal is really all about.

In the 80-minute movie, Mia makes a surprise visit to a suddenly flustered Charlie Brown, who has to live up to the curated version of himself that he has presented in his letters. His relationship with Snoopy is then strained, and the dog bolts for a nearby city. Naturally, Charlie Brown and the gang, plus Mia, give chase. With Mia, voiced by a real wheelchair user who lives just outside London, the creators wanted to birth someone as different from Charlie Brown as possible—a girl, not from a suburb or a rural town, who moves through the world differently, without a pet, and someone with confidence. "A big part of her role in the movie is to be a mirror to Charlie Brown, to journey with him and to reflect some things that he couldn't see himself," says director Steve Martino.

The script was written by Craig Schulz—Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz's son—and his own son, Bryan Schulz, along with Cornelius Uliano and Karey Kirkpatrick. In addition to Snoopy Unleashed, Apple TV has season two of Camp Snoopy on tap for June, a new special Snoopy Presents: There's No Place Like Home, Snoopy premiering at the end of July, and the Peanuts classics This Is America, Charlie Brown and The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show will be available on the platform in early July.