The teaser trailer for Paramount's movie version of Clifford the Big Red Dog promises a magical, family-friendly adventure grounded in the reality of today's New York City. Nearly 60 years after the character made his debut in 1963, Clifford the Big Red Dog is getting his very first live-action cinematic adaptation. To coincide with the release of the new trailer, director Walt Becker (Van Wilder, Wild Hogs) and producer Jordan Kerner (Charlotte's Web, The Smurfs) spoke with Screen Rant about their approach to the beloved Scholastic character.
Clifford the Big Red Dog follows Emily Elizabeth, a young girl who comes across a mysterious old man, played by John Cleese. The man, Mr. Bridwell, is named after the author of the original Clifford books. He gives Emily Elizabeth the eponymous pooch, promising her that her puppy will grow based on how much she loves him. Naturally, this results in Clifford quickly growing from a pint-sized puppy into a ten-foot-tall behemoth, kicking off an adventure that takes the pair (plus new character Uncle Casey, played by Jack Whitehall) all over New York City.
The teaser trailer for Clifford the Big Red Dog shows off the New York City setting, the cast of human characters, and of course, the title character in all his crayon-colored glory. It's an optimistic first look for the aspiring movie franchise, and the trailer can be seen in its entirety below.
According to director Becker, "We're playing New York City as real, but with a hint of magic." Clifford himself is not an over-the-top cartoon character, but an attempt at using CGI to make a believable, photorealistic version of a big red dog. Further, Clifford is not a talking animal, though his vocal effects are provided by David Alan Grier (In Living Color, Coffee & Kareem). In the books, Clifford's size varies depending on the story, and for the movie, the creative team decided not to make him too much of a straight-up kaiju. Becker says, "In the books, sometimes he's three stories tall, and sometimes he's ten feet tall. If he's too big in these movies, it starts to feel a little bit like King Kong."
The trailer is full of comedy and adventure, but that hint of magic Kerner mentioned is also present, suggesting Clifford the Big Red Dog will be reverential to the source material and respectful to its audience of both children and adults. As producer Kerner puts it, "We set out to make a movie that adults and kids would want to watch together. We really set out to try and make a big family movie." The original Clifford stories were simplistic, but Norman Bridwell never talked down to his young audience, so it makes sense for the film to follow his example. Based on the trailer, Clifford the Big Red Dog looks charming and exciting, but with the same beating heart that has allowed the brand to endure for the past six decades.
It's been a long road for the Clifford movie; the live-action adaptation was first announced in 2012 at Universal before quietly changing hands and restarting development at Paramount. Becker has been involved with the project since 2016, working with Scholastic to make sure the movie is true to the spirit of Clifford and the original intent of author Norman Bridwell. Audiences won't have to wait too long to see how it all shakes out, since Clifford the Big Red Dog hits theaters on September 17.
Source: Paramount
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