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"Lassie Come Home" remake in production
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Lassie, Irish Arts Minister John O’Donoghue, Eric Ellenbogen of Classic Media, and Mark Woods CEO of Irish Film Board in NY earlier this year.
Is there a new remake of "Lassie Come Home" being made?
Yes, the movie is currently in production in the UK and on the Isle of Mann.
I read in the press that the movie has a different ending, that Lassie comes home for Christmas. That wasn't the original story. Is this true?
We have not seen a script so we cannot verify this one way or the other.
I've read there are multiple dogs playing Lassie in the film and none of them are direct descendants of the original Lassie. . Is this true?
The three dogs portraying "Lassie" in the film are not direct descendents of the first generation "Lassie" collie, "Pal", However, Classic Media has told us a bloodline dog/descendent will play a pivotal role in the movie in a crucial scene that will be shot in the U.S.
If they are making this movie to be as true as possible to the original story, will a tri-color collie be used?
No, the collies will be the same as the Lassie trademark, sable and white, full white collar, four white feet and a white blaze going up the nose. When Eric Knight wrote the original story he did not copyright/trademark the character of "Lassie". When he sold the rights to MGM for the first movie, they cast the dog as a sable and white collie. Later, when Rudd purchased the rights after Lassie had a long line of successful movies as a sable collie, the trademark of "Lassie" was established to always be the sable and white collie
Why wasn’t a direct descendent used to play Lassie in the new movie?
We asked Classic Media this same question and they said-
A "Lassie" descendent was our first choice to star as Lassie. There are only a few bloodline "Lassies" that are trained sufficiently to star in a major motion picture and unfortunately, none of these dogs had the necessary paperwork – called a pet passport – to travel and work internationally.
Will any direct descendents of Lassie be involved in the movie?
According to Classic Media-
Yes, not only will a bloodline "Lassie" be filmed for a pivotal scene, but also all U.S. publicity appearances will be made by a direct descendent of "Pal" the collie that played Lassie in the original MGM 1943 movie. This 9th generation "Lassie" is currently being bred to ensure that the lineage lives on for generations to come for personal appearances and future TV and movie projects.
When they decided to make the movie, didn't they expect a direct descendent to play the part? Why couldn't the producers just wait until Lassie could get into the country?
Ireland, the U.K. and most of Europe have very restrictive animal/pet import laws – that were strengthened further after 9/11 and outbreaks of mad cow disease in recent years. Any animal or pet is subject to a rigorous testing, mandatory quarantine and an extensive paperwork process before they can obtain the proper permission for entry into the country. This can take more than six months. The brief pre-production schedule of this film did not allow sufficient time to obtain pet passports for "Lassie" bloodline dogs. Despite appeals to the U.K. and Irish regulatory authorities, the producers were unable to obtain an expedited quarantine.
Still, the producers of the movie felt that it was so important for a bloodline dog to appear in the movie, that at considerable expense, they have made a decision to film a pivotal scene in the U.S. with a direct descendent of the original "Lassie".
How did the other dogs from the US manage to get in the country and not Lassie?
The company that is supplying the dogs for the movie supplies the collies that play the part of Lassie in Universal Studio theme parks "Animal Actor" show, a show with celebrity animal lookalikes. They supplied many of the animals for many of the blockbuster movies that have been made in recent years. All of their animals are pet passported for international travel as part of their regular routine. Their dogs were ready to go when the decisions were made regarding the production schedule.
Who bred the collies that are from the US? What happens to them after the movie?
The breeders of the collies are unknown. It is our understanding that they will be used in the Universal theme parks Animal Actors shows, but that has not been verified.
Does anyone know if the producers and Classic Media are working with any Collie groups to prevent the massive dumping of collies in rescue after the film premieres and people purchase collies from unscrupulous puppy mills hoping to cash in on the popularity of the collie? When a 101 Dalmations came out I believe Disney worked with Dalmation groups to prevent this
We have discussed with Classic Media the recurring problem of what happens whenever a dog movie comes out featuring a certain breed of dog. We have pointed them to some of the top collie rescue people in the US that have worked with major collie rescue efforts to work with them. They are in discussions now.
How does Colliewoode feel about this? Will there be a campaign or boycott?
Colliewoode Productions was deeply saddened to learn of the decision of the producers and Classic Media to go forward with the remake of "Lassie Come Home" without a direct descendant of the original Lassie as the star. This will be the first time in Lassie history that a line dog and the long legacy of consistent training and presentation will not be featured in a major motion picture. It's hard to imagine any other dog other than a direct descendant in the role of Lassie.
As much as we wish the movie was starring a direct descendant of Lassie, we realize that there are circumstances and production & actor schedules that make it nearly impossible to get Lassie into the country to film in the short production window or to change the dates of the shooting. . It seems unreal that a country so interested in shooting the Lassie movie in the original settings would not make an exception to allow Lassie into the country to do the movie, but can appreciate the increased security after 9/11. . We appreciate that Classic Media understands the importance of the line dogs and their legacy and has ensured not only that Lassie will have a part in this film, and will be traveling throughout the US, but that the future of Lassie beyond this movie is to continue with line dogs and the legacy of Lassie in future ventures.
Your comments are welcome, write us at LassieNet@aol.com
Links-
Lassie Comes Home Again to Ireland
Lassie Comes Home to Dublin- photos on the set
Lassie boycotted by angry fans
Fans up in arms over Lassie star
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