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Brian Robbins’ Big Shot Pictures acquires stake in Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise; studio plans 2028 movie
The Apex Times

THE APEX TIMES

Culture/The Apex Times/Jul 15, 10:39 AM EDT

Brian Robbins’ Big Shot Pictures acquires stake in Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise; studio plans 2028 movie

The Hollywood Reporter reports Big Shot Pictures has taken a stake in the Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise and is developing a new theatrical release scheduled for 2028.

2 min readEditor-approved Apex article

A new Alvin and the Chipmunks film is in development with a planned 2028 release, as producer Brian Robbins’ Big Shot Pictures has acquired a stake in the franchise, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The report frames the move as part of a broader effort to restart feature-film activity for the long-running animated characters that first gained major mainstream visibility in the 2007 live-action/animation hybrid era.

The franchise’s most recent big-screen entry was 2015’s Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip, which The Hollywood Reporter identifies as the last theatrical outing before the next installment. Details on the project’s creative team, cast, and production timeline beyond the 2028 target were not included in the reporting cited for this update.

Big Shot Pictures, led by Robbins, is described in the report as the entity behind the planned film work. The publication does not specify the exact percentage or valuation of the acquired stake in its account, nor does it lay out whether the transaction includes changes to distribution rights, marketing responsibilities, or ownership of related intellectual property.

The report also positions the development as a franchise strategy question, since Alvin and the Chipmunks has continued to exist through multiple forms of media over the years, but has not returned to theaters since The Road Chip. The gap between releases raises questions for audiences and industry stakeholders about how quickly character-based brands can translate into new theatrical product in a market where studios also rely on streaming and licensed content.

Beyond the creative considerations, franchise stakeholding can affect business planning, including how risk and upside are allocated across budgets, marketing, and theatrical windows. While the reporting confirms the stake acquisition and the existence of work toward a 2028 release, it does not provide specific cost estimates, financing structure, or whether the new movie is already attached to major downstream partners for domestic and international distribution.

The next steps for the project, based on what has been reported, will likely include formal announcements once production is closer to schedules, including updates to writers, directors, and voice talent if and when those elements are finalized. For now, the publicly available information centers on the stake acquisition by Big Shot Pictures and the broad release target of 2028 described by The Hollywood Reporter.

Why It Matters

  • A new theatrical installment for a major character brand can shift studio planning around animation budgets, voice casting, and marketing timing tied to release windows.
  • Stake acquisitions can change how financial responsibilities and decision-making are handled for future projects within a franchise.
  • The 2028 target underscores how long character-brand development cycles can be, particularly after a multi-year gap in theatrical releases.
  • For audiences, the project marks a potential return of the franchise to cinema after a 2015 big-screen outing, pending further official announcements.

Sources

Key Facts

  • The Hollywood Reporter reports Big Shot Pictures, led by Brian Robbins, acquired a stake in the Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise.
  • The report says a new Alvin and the Chipmunks movie is planned for a 2028 release.
  • The most recent theatrical Alvin and the Chipmunks movie cited in the reporting is 2015’s Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip.
  • The reporting describes Big Shot Pictures as participating in work tied to restarting the franchise’s feature-film presence.
  • The report does not provide additional confirmed details on cast, director, or production timeline beyond the 2028 target.