He might be better known for his low-key dramas about dissolving family relationships, misanthropic coming-of-age stories and chronicles of people looking for their path in life, but Noah Baumbach has form with animation too. He co-wrote Fantastic Mr. Fox with Wes Anderson and scripted DreamWorks Animation’s Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (yes, really). Now comes word that he’s been quietly working away on another project for DreamWorks, directing the studio’s adaptation of **Flawed Dogs.
Dogs, which DreamWorks picked up back in 2011, follows a dachshund who finds his comfortable place with his family under threat when a new arrival – a jealous, needy show dog – plots against him and has him sent away. Our hero, Sam, must survive on the streets and find a way to get back home, which ends up involving the Westminster Dog Show (the Stateside equivalent of Crufts).
Baumbach has written the adaptation of Berkeley Breathed's stories, based mostly on the novel featuring the characters, The Shocking Raid On Westminster. Fans can expect the usual plot juggling and a few character changes too.
DreamWorks has yet to announce when F****lawed Dogs might hit screens, but given that the company has a full slate of films running through 2016, we wouldn’t expect to see it straight away. Still: an interesting partnership of director and material, no?