In Britain'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, using asbestos, drinking water from a dirty bird bath, 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, Mr. McGregor's great-nephew, Thomas, 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 suffers a breakdown 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 them and attempts to drown Benjamin in a river. Peter and his sisters rescue Benjamin and Thomas instead accidentally drops a prized set of
binoculars Bea had given him earlier into the water. Furious, Thomas buys an electric fence and a supply of
dynamite to ward off the rabbits. Thomas and Bea end up falling in love with each other, much to Peter's jealousy. He and Thomas start a war with each other by setting traps and other offensive nuisances. Things get out of hand when Peter and his family rewire the electric fence to give Thomas a shock when he touches any doorknob leading to the outside, prompting Thomas to throw the dynamite in the hole. After the rabbits trigger Thomas'
allergy to
blackberries, he attacks them in the garden with some of the dynamite, on the
warpath against them and tells Peter that his antics caused him to become aggressive. Bea, having heard the commotion, comes by, and Peter detonates the dynamite, proving to Bea that Thomas was using it, but accidentally blows up the hole, causing the tree on top to collapse on Bea's art studio. Bea ignores Thomas's explanation of the rabbits' involvement and ends their relationship, leaving a heartbroken Thomas to return to London. Peter feels remorseful for the damage his recklessness has caused and upon learning that Bea intends to leave the neighbourhood, he and Benjamin head to London to bring Thomas back. Making Thomas think that he was imagining the rabbits' ability to talk, Peter encourages him to follow his heart. They rush back to the country, where Peter shows Bea the detonator and presses it for her to see, thus confirming Thomas' previous claims that a rabbit caused the explosion. Bea forgives them and decides not to move away. Peter and his family use their tricks to drive away an unpleasant wealthy couple who had bought the manor, which allows Thomas to stay as well. Thomas and Bea resume their relationship, and Thomas allows the wildlife to take food from the garden within reason. Peter and his family restore the burrow and the yard with Thomas and Bea's help, and Thomas sets up his own toy shop in the village, where Bea showcases her paintings of the rabbits. ==Cast==