Peter Rabbit was released in the United States on February 9, 2018, in the United Kingdom on March 16, 2018, and in Australia on March 22, 2018. The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $351 million worldwide on a $50 million budget. A sequel, Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway, was released in 2021. In England’s Lake District, Peter Rabbit, his cousin, Benjamin Bunny and his triplet sisters, Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail, spend most of their days picking on old Mr. McGregor, who had killed and eaten their father, and stealing vegetables from his garden. They are friends with a kind-hearted local resident named Bea, who took on a motherly role with the rabbits ever since their mother’s death and who spends her time painting pictures of the rabbits as well as the surrounding nature. One day, Peter is forced to leave his jacket in Mr. McGregor’s garden and goes back to retrieve it. However, it was a trap set by Mr. McGregor; he catches him, but suddenly dies of a heart attack, having lived an unhealthy lifestyle (including smoking and a poor diet) for many years. Enthralled, Peter invites all of the local animals and takes over Mr. McGregor’s manor.

Meanwhile, in London, McGregor’s great-nephew, Thomas McGregor, an uptight, controlling workaholic, works in the toy department of Harrods, where he waits for a promotion to associate general manager. After losing the promotion to a lazy nephew of the managing director, Thomas loses his temper and gets fired. When Thomas learns that his great-uncle’s manor is valuable and that he has inherited it, he decides to appraise and prepare it for resale in order to start his own toy store near Harrods to get his revenge. He kicks out Peter and the other animals and begins to upgrade the security of the garden wall and gates. When Peter and a reluctant Benjamin sneak back into the garden, Thomas catches the latter and attempts to drown Benjamin in a river; Benjamin’s relatives rescue him and Thomas instead accidentally drops a prized set of binoculars that Bea had given him earlier. Angry, Thomas wants to buy an electric fence and a supply of dynamite to ward off the rabbits.