Paramount reveals the first look at their live-action/CGI Clifford the Big Red Dog movie ahead of next year’s release. A giant red Labrador retriever that towers over his best friends, Clifford was created by author Norman Bridwell in the 1960s and became the star of his own children’s book series. Over the years, Clifford has become the subject of various television shows (the most recent premiering on Amazon Prime just last year), an animated movie, and even some educational games. Paramount acquired the rights to Clifford in 2016 and began developing a live-action movie for him, but it’s taken a few years for it to arrive.
The original plan was for Clifford the Big Red Dog to be included among Paramount’s 2020 slate. However, the coronavirus pandemic threw a wrench into those plans, and the studio ended up delaying the movie until 2021. Starring Darby Camp as Clifford’s human friend Emily Elizabeth, this live-action/CGI hybrid of Clifford the Big Red Dog will find the titular pup and Emily embarking on an adventure throughout New York City, aided by Emily’s Uncle Casey (Jack Whitehall).
Wednesday morning, Paramount shared the first official look at Clifford the Big Red Dog. The short teaser shows an adorable lineup of dogs before settling on a very familiar large and red shape. Yes, this is to be Paramount’s Clifford, and he looks as precious as one would expect him to. Check it out down below.
At first glance, it looks as though Paramount and director Walt Becker merely colored a real dog red and enlarged him to fit Clifford’s substantial size. However, it’s very clear from his lively look that Clifford is entirely CGI and has the potential to amaze audiences. Recent years have shown that when it comes to live-action/CGI hybrids, the design of the CGI characters are crucial (see: this year’s Sonic the Hedgehog). It’s hard to glean how successful Clifford’s look will be just from this quick teaser, but he certainly seems like an adorable dog.
The teaser merely indicates Clifford the Big Red Dog will arrive in 2021, but it was previously reported that the film is scheduled for November 5, 2021. That puts its arrival at a little under a year from now, and just in time for the end of year holidays. Provided theaters are back to relative normal by that point, Clifford the Big Red Dog could prove to be a hit with families looking for something to do during the holiday season. Expect a far more in-depth look at Clifford’s first live-action adventure to arrive in the coming months.
