I'll admit that there was a time in my life where I didn't read a lot of books. Unless it was a comic or on a cereal box I wasn't as interested. Sure the promise of free pizza from the "Book It!" program helped a lot, but there were a few stories that I still found myself drawn to as a kid. Clifford The Big Red Dog was definitely one of those. I've always loved dogs, and the stories from Normal Bridwell and Scholastic were always just so fun and inviting. So, when I found out that Paramount Pictures was releasing a movie based on the character, I couldn't wait to find out more. Let's take a look at the first trailer.
Now let's take a look at the official synopsis: "When middle-schooler Emily Elizabeth (Darby Camp) meets a magical animal rescuer (John Cleese) who gifts her a little, red puppy, she never anticipated waking up to find a giant ten-foot hound in her small New York City apartment. While her single mom (Sienna Guillory) is away for business, Emily and her fun but impulsive uncle Casey (Jack Whitehall) set out on an adventure that will keep you on the edge-of-your-seat as our heroes take a bite out of the Big Apple. Based on the beloved Scholastic book character, Clifford will teach the world how to love big!"
You saw a few member of the cast listed there. We'll also see Tony Hale, David Alan Grier and Russell Wong. Walt Becker is the director with a screenplay from Jay Scherick & David Ronn and Blaise Hemingway (based on a story from Justin Malen and Ellen Rapoport.) Executive Producers include Brian Oliver, Bradley J. Fischer, Valerii An, Brian Bell, Caitlin Friedman, Deborah Forte and Lisa Crnic. Jordan Kerner, p.g.a. and Iole Lucchese will also produce.
Surprisingly enough, the movie is actually rated PG instead of G. One of the reasons listed is "impolite humor", but I certainly think this has all of the makings of a fun family film for all ages. Clifford The Big Red Dog will be in theaters on September 17th from Paramount Pictures, in association with eOne Films and New Republic Pictures, A Scholastic Entertainment/Kerner Entertainment Company Production. We'll have more coverage as is becomes available.
Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures