We suppose it was inevitable, in a way. Given the recent success of dog-themed movies Marley & Me,** Beverly Hills Chihuahua** and – yes! – Hotel For Dogs, it was only a matter of time before any project even remotely involving one of our furry friends got the green light.
Which brings us neatly to the news that Universal has picked up the rights to Spencer Quinn’s novel, Dog On It: A Chet And Bernie Mystery, a private eye caper told from the POV of the PI’s dog, Chet. No, really.
Of course, we’re sure that’ll be amended somewhat for the movie – and Universal have already got their man’s best friend, sorry, best man on the job. Jeff Lowell, the scribe who wrote Hotel For Dogs, will adapt the newly-published novel, which has been critically acclaimed enough to draw interest from Summit and New Line. But thanks to their outstanding pedigree, chum, Universal won the bidding war with a six-figure deal.
The notion of dogs fighting crime is not a new one, of course; let’s hope that this turns out more Turner & Hooch, and less K-9.