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Clifford the Big Red Dog pulled from release amid resurging Covid concerns
Clifford the Big Red Dog is no longer coming to cinemas this September (Picture: Paramount Pictures)
Clifford the Big Red Dog’s planned theatrical release has been cancelled due to concerns over a surge in Covid-19 cases due to the Delta variant.
The Paramount film, based on Norman Bridwell’s beloved children’s book series about a 10-foot-tall red dog and his owner, was set to hit cinemas on September 17.
Deadline reports that the studio is now searching for a new US release date, with no decision yet announced, as it strives to capture the biggest family audience it can for the kids’ movie.
Clifford the Big Red Dog is scheduled to be the Gala Presentation at September’s Toronto Film Festival in September, but the cinematic delay has also thrown this premiere into question.
Walt Becker directed the film with Darby Camp as Clifford’s owner Emily Elizabeth, and a cast including Jack Whitehall as her fun-loving Uncle Casey, John Cleese as a magical animal rescuer and Sienna Guillory as Emily’s mum, who is away on business.
The trailer dropped in June, and with it fans had a lot of opinions on Jack Whitehall and his American accent.
Clifford the Big Red Dog is no longer coming to cinemas this September (Picture: Paramount Pictures)
Clifford becomes quite the handful (Picture: Paramount Pictures)
‘Jack Whitehall is fighting for his life with that accent,’ observed one user, while another simply put: ‘why is jack whitehall american [sic].’
Another, who had criticised the film’s CGI too, also had no time for Jack Whitehall as an American, posting: ‘Actually, I worked out what’s worse after I saw the trailer. Jack Whitehall’s appalling New York accent!’
But plenty of fans were hyped up for the movie and Jack Whitehall’s involvement in it too.
‘Ok… so at 21, I’m technically an adult. But Clifford was a big part of my childhood, and Jack whitehall is my favourite comedian.
‘Who’s got a kid I could kidnap for a while to watch the Clifford movie?’ asked one.
Jack has recently been seen in Disney’s Jungle Cruise, as Emily Blunt’s brother MacGregor, and the first openly gay character in a major Disney movie.
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Talking about his experience making the film with Metro.co.uk, Jack admitted to finding it ‘humiliating’ when he dislocated a rib while on an exercise bike – off set – as he tried to read the subtitles on a Drew Barrymore film.
The comedian explained: ‘It felt just so humiliating when Dwayne [Johnson] is pumping huge amounts of iron over in his gym and I dislocate a rib watching 50 First Dates on an exercise bike!’
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