After bowing at Cannes last year and earning over $80 million overseas, director Mark Osborne's ("Kung Fu Panda") "The Little Prince" was expected to open in the U.S. on March 18th. However, the film's distributor, Paramount Pictures, has pulled out of the deal and will not be releasing the movie next week after all.

No reason was given for the decision to cancel the release, though Paramount had not yet solidified plans for the theatrical run. "The Little Prince" still opened in Canada on Friday, but it looks as if U.S. fans will have to wait to see the movie until another distributor picks it up for release later this year.

"Many thanks to everyone for the outpouring of love and support in these strange times," Osborne wrote in a series of tweets. "As it turns out, the much anticipated U.S. release of this special and unique film will have to be anticipated just a little bit more. All I can say is #thelittleprince will in fact be released by another distributor later this year. Until then, head to Canada! The film opens there in wide release this weekend!"

Based on the classic children's book by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the film combines stop motion and 3D computer animation to tell the tale of a curious child prodigy, her eccentric old friend, and a boy from a far away planet. Osborne's adaptation has premiered already in most European, South American, and Asian markets, and debuted in the U.S. at this year's Santa Barbara Internation Film Festival. Its all-star voice cast includes Mackenzie Foy, Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams, Paul Rudd, Marion Cotillard, James Franco, Benicio Del Toro, Ricky Gervais, Paul Giamatti, and Albert Brooks.

Below, watch the movie's trailer.