Translating a beloved character between mediums can be a tricky process. For every delightful result you have the concerns over Sonic from Sonic The Hedgehog and, in the early going at least, worries that Paddington's cinematic incarnation could be creepy (that turned to be very much not the case). The latest to suffer the slings and arrows of internet backlash is Clifford The Big Red Dog, which put a teaser online to a chorus of horrified reactions.
For the most part, fans and those who are nostalgic for their kid years watching the cartoon series reacted as though their beloved canine had become a blood-drenched killer. And, honestly... you can sort of see their point. This may become another case where the look of the dog is tweaked before a full trailer lands. If you've never seen the show, this is how he appears in TV animated form. He also arrived in more traditional 'toon format in cinemas back in 2005.
The official synopsis for the movie reads, "When middle-schooler Emily Elizabeth (Darby Camp) meets a magical animal rescuer (John Cleese) who gifts her a little, red puppy, she never anticipated waking up to find a giant ten-foot hound in her small New York City apartment. While her single mom (Sienna Guillory) is away for business, Emily and her fun but impulsive uncle Casey (Jack Whitehall) set out on an adventure that will keep you on the edge-of-your-seat as our heroes take a bite out of the Big Apple. Based on the beloved Scholastic book character, Clifford will teach the world how to love big!"
There's plenty of time for Clifford to have a CG facelift, as the film isn't due out until November 2021 in the US and 24 December the same year here.