Netflix has released the first trailer and poster for the highly-anticipatedBenjimovie, which is getting ready to debut on the streaming service March 16. This movie comes from producer Jason Blum and his team of horror masters over at Blumhouse, with the company carving out a new niche for itself by taking on this family film.Production beganonBenjiway back in October 2016, but now the adventure is finally ready to see the light of day, ending this project’s long journey to the screen.
A modern day retelling of the classic, the story of Benji follows one orphaned puppy and Carter and Frankie, two capricious New Orleans school kids who strike up a friendship with the tenacious street dog. When danger befalls them and they end up kidnapped by robbers who are in over their heads, Benji and his scruffy sidekick come to the rescue.Blumhouse picked up the projectback in May 2016, just a few months before production started, but this project had been in the works for several years prior to Blumhouse coming aboard.
We first reported on this newBenjimovie way back in 2010, whenWalden Mediaacquired the project, with Brandon Camp, the son ofBenjicreator Joe Camp, set to write, direct and produce the project. We didn’t hear any updates on the project until two years later, when a Facebook page for the movie surfaced that askedpet owners and animal sheltersto submit pictures of their dogs to be considered to play the nextBenji. It isn’t ultimately clear yet where this newBenjiwas found, but hopefully we’ll find out more as we get closer and closer to the March 16 premiere date.
Brandon Camp directsBenjifrom his own script, while also producing alongside Jason Blum. Gabriel Bateman and Darby Camp star as Carter and Frankie, the two siblings who findBenjion the street, with Kiele Sanchez playing their mother, a New Orleans police officer. The cast also includes Jerod Haynes, Gralen Bryant Banks, Angus Sampson, Will Rothhaar, Brady Permenter and Jim Gleason. The originalBenjimovie debuted in 1974, which would spawn a movie and TV franchise that continued for several years including movies such asFor the Love of Benji(1977),Benji’s Very Own Christmas Story(1978),Oh! Heavenly Dog(1980),Benji at Work(1980),Benji Takes a Dive at Marineland(1981),Benji the Hunted(1987),Benji’s Film Festival(2001) andBenji: Off the Leash!(2004), along with the TV seriesBenji, Zax & the Alien Prince(1983) and a pair of documentaries,Benji’s Life Story(1976) andThe Phenomenon of Benji(1978).
Netflix has set a March 16 release date forBenji, and while it won’t be debuting in theaters, it will arrive on the same date that Warner Bros.Tomb Raider, 20th Century Fox’sLove, Simonand Roadside Attractions’I Can Only Imaginewill hit theaters. Given how the originalBenjimovie spawned amassive franchise, it wouldn’t be surprising if this movie does the same, but there have been no official announcements about the future of this potential franchise thus far. Take a look at the trailer, courtesy ofNetflix YouTube, and the new poster below.
