Clifford hits the big screen

Zain Abbas

Clifford the Big Red Dog, a new movie about the beloved children's book character, premiered (首映) on November 10, 2021.Norman Bridwell, an author and illustrator, published his first picture book about Clifford in 1963.Dozens of stories followed, recording the adventures of the lovable puppy.There also have been TV adaptations and video games.

The movie tells the story of Emily Elizabeth Howard, 12, played by Darby Camp, and her red puppy named Clifford.Emily is struggling to adjust to the private school she now attends in New York City,where other students bully (欺负) her for being different.

On the way to school one day, Emily and her uncle Casey meet an animal rescuer named Mr Bridwell.The mysterious character introduces Emily to Clifford.When Emily asks how big the puppy will get, Bridwell responds,“That depends on how much you love him.” By the next morning, he is magically 10 feet tall.

I recently attended a virtual press event for the movie hosted by Paramount Pictures.Walt Becker, who directedClif

ford the Big Red Dog, talked about the making of the movie.I asked what it was like to interact with the character of Clifford during filming, since he is computer animated (动画的).Becker explained that two talented puppeteers (操纵木偶的人)controlled a huge puppet who represented Clifford.The puppeteers did a great job representing Clifford's emotions.

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