A TRAILER for the forthcoming Peter Rabbit movie has outraged some fans of Beatrix Potter's classic children's tales.

Sony Pictures unveiled the two-minute clip on video-sharing website YouTube, ahead of the film's UK cinema release in March 2018.

MORE TOP STORIES:

It portrays the blue-jacked radish thief, voiced by British actor James Corden, as a mischievous and daring hero who fights to gain control of Mr McGregor's prized vegetable garden with his siblings - the "good little bunnies" Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail, voiced by Margot Robbie, Elizabeth Debicki, and Daisy Ridley.

At one point, Mrs Tiggy-winkle, the hedgehog laundrywoman, has an uncomfortable encounter with an electric fence. Later the action moves from the Lake District to London, where Peter makes an appearance at Buckingham Palace's Changing of the Guard.

An earlier version of the trailer shows Peter and friends partying at Mr McGregor's house, before the youthful-looking, dark-haired gardener (played by Irish actor Domhnall Gleeson) returns to scenes of vegetable-strewn chaos. His warm-hearted animal-loving neighbour, Bea, is played by Australian actress Rose Byrne.

Although some online reviewers have been quick to praise the film others have reacted angrily to its fast-paced and perhaps irreverent take on the beloved story.

"Beatrix Potter must be rolling in her grave," stated one post on Youtube, while another said simply: "Childhood ruined." Other displeased comments included:

- "I'm not some kind of diehard book purist, and trailers can be misleading, but this seems noisy and zany with virtually no resemblance to the classic story."

- "I thought this would be a heartwarming Peter rabbit movie.... but then I saw this."

- "Considering the original author wouldn't give Walt Disney himself the rights to make a Peter Rabbit movie I'm sure she would loathe this abomination."

- "There goes Beatrix Potter's great legacy..."

- "Did they even flip through the pages of the source material?"

- "Nooooooo, i loved those books as a child and now they had to ruin it."

- and "This is a disgrace to the original heartwarming stories by Beatrix Potter."

One reviewer said they were "kinda concerned" about the film, but added: "...we'll see. I liked the Paddington movie." Another advised critics to "chill out" and "stop judging" before the movie's release.

The film is directed and co-written by Will Gluck, who remade Annie in 2014. On the trailer's release, he said: "In making this film, we've always felt as humble custodians entrusted with Peter's legacy. My parents introduced Peter to me, and I in turn introduced him to my own children - and it's my great honour to be directing a film that will bring him to cinemas everywhere."

Voice of Peter Rabbit, James Corden, added: "Every British child falls in love with Peter Rabbit sooner or later. I hope that a new generation will see this film and rediscover the incredible books and storytelling of Beatrix Potter and fall in love with the character as I did. That's why I wanted to be part of this film."

Meanwhile, the National Trust's John Moffat, general manager for South Lakes property including Hill Top, Beatrix Potter's Near Sawrey home, said: "We're all very excited about the movie, and hope that the film will bring new audiences into contact with Beatrix and inspire them to make a visit to the places in the Lakes that inspired her to write her classic tales."

As reported by the Gazette, film crews shot location scenes for Peter Rabbit in Ambleside and Windermere back in April.