Noah Baumbach made his name as a director with the indie likes of The Squid And The Whale, Margot At The Wedding, Greenberg and the recent Frances Ha. However now he’s planning something a little different, as Bleeding Cool reports that Baumbach has been secretly working on an adaptation of cartoonist and author Berkley Breathed’s Flawed Dogs book, The Shocking Raid on Westminster for DreamWorks Animation.
While it’s loosely based on that specific novel, the title will simply be Flawed Dogs. It won’t be a straightforward adaptation though, as Baumbach is apparently working in a few twists.
Here’s a description of the book: ‘Sam the Lion is actually a priceless dachshund, bred to be a show dog. More important, he is Heidys best friendand she needs one like never before. Living with her reclusive uncle is hard, but Sam has a way of making her feel soft and whole. Until the day Sam is framed by the jealous poodle Cassius, and is cast out by Heidys uncle, alone on the wild streets, where he is roughed up by a world he was not bred for. Sporting a soup ladle for a leg, Sam befriends other abandoned dogs and journeys all the way to the Westminster Dog Show, where his plan for revenge on Cassius takes an unexpected turn when he and Heidy spot each other after years of being apart.’
Baumbach actually has some animation experience, as while he’s mainly directed in the indie realm, he co-wrote both Madagascar 3: Europes Most Wanted and Fantastic Mr. Fox. There’s no news on when Flawed Dogs might arrive in cinemas.