Children's book icons come and go, but there's only one 25-foot-tall, bright red dog. After more than 50 years, Clifford the Big Red Dog is getting a movie. Paramount scooped up the movie rights to Clifford the Big Red Dog after Universal's option lapsed.
Norman Bridwell published Clifford the Big Red Dog in 1963. The books "helped establish Scholastic Books as a premier publishing company," and Bridwell's lovable canine became the official Scholastic mascot. Before his death in 2014, Bridwell went on to publish dozens of Clifford titles. Two more books — Clifford Goes to Kindergarten and Clifford Celebrates Hanukkah — were published posthumously in 2015.
Clifford hit the small screen in the early 2000s, with PBS Kids' Clifford the Big Red Dog TV show. John Ritter voiced Clifford, and the series did not continue after his death in 2003. Ritter had completed voicework for Clifford's Really Big Movie, which hit theaters in 2004, and serves as the show's finale.
Unlike PBS Kids' offerings, the upcoming Clifford movie will be a live-action/CG hybrid. Justin Malen will tackle the screenplay. Malen has written for three films that are currently in post-production, including Bastards, which stars Owen Wilson and Ed Helms. Deborah Forte, of Scholastic Media, is attached to produce.
Image: Mike Young Productions
