Canines steal show in remake of kids’ classic
The divas on display at a special screening of Lady and the Tramp earlier this week were of the four-legged variety.
The event brought out such A-listers as Tessa Thompson and Justin Theroux, but those stars were outshone by Rose and Monte, the two canine actors who portray the title characters in the live-action remake of the animated classic.
Both walked the red carpet, accompanied by trainers, posing for pictures and barking when the klieg lights grew tiresome.
Hosted at the ipic in Manhattan, it was an evening that was tailor-made for dog lovers.
“I just adopted a dog recently and he’s taught me so much about commitment, about compassion, about being patient,” said Thompson, who provides the voice of Lady. “This is a film about love, about family, about loyalty, about commitment, about the ways in which love allows us the capacity to challenge our own world views.”
It’s also a film that is helping to usher in a new form of distribution, as one of the first original movies to première on Disney+, the Mouse House’s Netflix challenger, which launches next month. The subscription service will also boast The Mandalorian, a Star Wars-inspired series, and a series based on High School Musical, among other exclusive shows and movies.
The animated version of Lady and the Tramp came out in 1955 and remains one of the most beloved family films of all time. The creators of the live-action version said they wanted to retain much of the original story, while also modernizing parts of the movie for contemporary audiences. In particular, they dove deeper into Tramp, a stray dog’s backstory.
“We wanted to explore the emotional subtext of what Tramp’s journey was,” said producer Brigham Taylor. “I think we understand better today the perilous journey that some of these animals are on and the responsibility we feel to give them a loving home.”