Paramount may have delayed the release of their eOne family feature Clifford the Big Red Dog, but they wanted to show exhibitors they truly have the goods here with the live-action feature adaptation of the classic Scholastic kids book with a surprise screening this AM on the last day of CinemaCon.
The movie was recently pushed off its Sept. 17 date due to the rising delta variant, and kids under 12 not being allowed to be vaccinated. Other studios followed suit in taking precautions with their family movies, i.e. Sony is in talks to license Hotel Transylvania 4 to Amazon, and MGM/United Artists Releasing is going theatrical day-and-date and on PVOD with The Addams Family 2 on Oct. 1. Also, the pic pulled out of its world premiere at TIFF.
Paramount domestic distribution boss Chris Aronson on stage at Caesars’ Colosseum Theatre said Clifford is “scoring through the roof.” Early tracking, Deadline heard, was in the 90s.
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We’ll update you if Paramount sets a release date for the film.