Cinema Culture wrote:There is probably no American comic strip more beloved than Calvin and Hobbes. Originally running in syndicated newspapers from 1985 to 1995, Bill Watterson's timeless cartoon creation is still enjoyed today by millions of fans, many of who hadn't even grown up with the strip in circulation. Almost equally famous is Watterson's unwavering refusal of merchandising his cherished comic.
"Actually, I wasn't against all merchandising when I started the strip," explained Watterson in 2005, "But each product I considered seemed to violate the spirit of the strip, contradict its message, and take me away from the work I loved. If my syndicate had let it go at that, the decision would have taken maybe 30 seconds of my life."
Yet, despite Watterson's repeated wishes, a number of illegal, often unflattering products have surfaced, leaving some to despair the only Calvin and Hobbes related merchandising would be both underground and in bad taste.
Until today.
In a quietly circulated press release, relative newcomer director Rajat Tulient, previously known for his short films set in his native India, has announced he plans to premiere a feature-length Calvin and Hobbes film in early 2011, a project he's kept secret from the larger press for the majority of its filming, just today entering the first stages of post-production.
"It was important to keep things quiet," Tulient confided at the release, "Calvin and Hobbes is a very lasting icon of American popular culture. I knew if we announced it early on, there'd be heavy opposition. My hope is that now that the film is reaching completion, people will be more inclined to give it a chance and not write it off a commercialism attempt."
The most difficult issue was getting Watterson to agree to the film, who would ultimately co-write the script with Tulient.
"If it was anyone else, I would have flatly refused. But when Rajat came to meet with me in person, and we talked, I realized he was probably the one person who could truly make something in the spirit of the strip."
Since that eventful evening, Tulient and his staff had gone to great lengths to keep the project under wraps, fearing public outcry and mass media attention, culminating in the casting of virtual unknowns to bring Watterson's beloved characters to life. "Rest assured, we have only considered actors we feel would do the characters justice."
Concerning the filming of Hobbes, Tulient was remarkably silent, hinting only that they would be trying "Something new." Rumors have since appeared that Tulient may have struck a deal with Weta Digital, though these are unconfirmed.
Calvin and Hobbes will be Rajat Tulient's first foray into feature-length films, and a serious break from his prior body of work. Tulient first appeared on the director scene in 2007 with "His Bicycle," a thirty-minute story of a father dealing with his son's death by sorting through his belongings and finding the first gift he ever gave him, a red bicycle. In 2008 he followed up with "Underground Traffic," another short film focusing on three businessmen (Indian, Japanese, and American) and an unemployed writer trapped in a subway for an entire day after a machinery breakdown. Both films were released to limited audience but received almost universal praise.
Tulient has not set a date for Calvin and Hobbes, saying to expected it early in 2011, although a promotional trailer will be available in December.
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