Joe Camp, the creator, director and writer of the “Benji” films, died March 15. He was 84.
Camp died Friday morning at his home in Bell Buckle, Tenn., following a battle with illness, according to his son, filmmaker and writer of the 2018 “Benji” reboot, Brandon Camp.
Camp had nearly no Hollywood experience before he raised $500,000 to make the first “Benji” film, a family movie about a lovable mutt who saves a pair of children from kidnappers. Higgins the dog, who previously appeared on the CBS sitcom “Petticoat Junction,” came out of retirement to star in the titular role.
After having no luck acquiring distribution, Camp formed his own distribution company Mulberry Square Releasing in 1974 to distribute the film himself. “Benji” would go on to gross almost $40 million ($250 million after inflation).
Camp would follow up the original with “For the Love of Benji” in 1977 and “Oh! Heavenly Dog” in 1980, which starred Chevy Chase...
Camp died Friday morning at his home in Bell Buckle, Tenn., following a battle with illness, according to his son, filmmaker and writer of the 2018 “Benji” reboot, Brandon Camp.
Camp had nearly no Hollywood experience before he raised $500,000 to make the first “Benji” film, a family movie about a lovable mutt who saves a pair of children from kidnappers. Higgins the dog, who previously appeared on the CBS sitcom “Petticoat Junction,” came out of retirement to star in the titular role.
After having no luck acquiring distribution, Camp formed his own distribution company Mulberry Square Releasing in 1974 to distribute the film himself. “Benji” would go on to gross almost $40 million ($250 million after inflation).
Camp would follow up the original with “For the Love of Benji” in 1977 and “Oh! Heavenly Dog” in 1980, which starred Chevy Chase...
- 3/15/2024
- by Jack Dunn
- Variety Film + TV
Joe Camp, who wrote, produced and directed a series of films and TV shows that elevated a pooch stage-named Benji to Hollywood’s canine pantheon alongside Lassie and Rin Tin Tin, died today at his Tennessee home. He was 84.
His death was announced by his son, the director Brandon Camp, who told Deadline that his father died after a prolonged illness at his home in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, surrounded by family.
In addition to the long-lasting Benji franchise that began in 1974 and would continue well into the 21st Century, Camp co-wrote and directed Hawmps!, the 1976 Western comedy that replaced horses with camels, and 1979’s The Double McGuffin, a mystery film starring Ernest Borgnine and George Kennedy.
While he also wrote a series of books about horses, including the popular The Soul of a Horse and Why Horses Are Barefoot, Camp’s most enduring contribution to Hollywood was and remains the...
His death was announced by his son, the director Brandon Camp, who told Deadline that his father died after a prolonged illness at his home in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, surrounded by family.
In addition to the long-lasting Benji franchise that began in 1974 and would continue well into the 21st Century, Camp co-wrote and directed Hawmps!, the 1976 Western comedy that replaced horses with camels, and 1979’s The Double McGuffin, a mystery film starring Ernest Borgnine and George Kennedy.
While he also wrote a series of books about horses, including the popular The Soul of a Horse and Why Horses Are Barefoot, Camp’s most enduring contribution to Hollywood was and remains the...
- 3/15/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Fifty years ago, every studio told Joe Camp — who died Friday after a long illness — he was barking up the wrong tree with Benji.
While working in advertising, the Texas-based Camp dreamed of telling a Lassie-like story from the dog’s point of view, and so he penned a script about a beloved stray pooch attempting to rescue two kidnapped children. Naming the film after his own dog, Camp secured independent financing and helmed the project himself.
“He screened it for every single studio, and each one passed,” recalls Camp’s son, filmmaker Brandon Camp, to The Hollywood Reporter. “They all said, ‘No one is interested in this movie.’ ”
Without a distributor, Joe Camp formed Mulberry Square Productions with Ed Vanston to release the film, which starred Peter Breck, Patsy Garrett and mixed-breed canine Higgins. They managed to book Benji at a single Dallas theater in 1974, and more locations followed as word-of-mouth grew.
While working in advertising, the Texas-based Camp dreamed of telling a Lassie-like story from the dog’s point of view, and so he penned a script about a beloved stray pooch attempting to rescue two kidnapped children. Naming the film after his own dog, Camp secured independent financing and helmed the project himself.
“He screened it for every single studio, and each one passed,” recalls Camp’s son, filmmaker Brandon Camp, to The Hollywood Reporter. “They all said, ‘No one is interested in this movie.’ ”
Without a distributor, Joe Camp formed Mulberry Square Productions with Ed Vanston to release the film, which starred Peter Breck, Patsy Garrett and mixed-breed canine Higgins. They managed to book Benji at a single Dallas theater in 1974, and more locations followed as word-of-mouth grew.
- 3/15/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Joe Camp, the writer, director and producer who taught that old dog Hollywood new tricks about animal movies as the creative force behind the 1974 franchise-spawning Benji, has died. He was 84.
Camp died Friday morning at his home in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, following a long illness, his son, filmmaker Brandon Camp, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Camp also directed and co-wrote the comedies Hawmps! (1976), about the U.S. Cavalry replacing horses with camels in the 1850s, and The Double McGuffin (1979), which revolved around kids trying to thwart a terrorist (Ernest Borgnine) and featured lots of in-jokes about Hitchcock movies.
Other than serving as an extra on the Robert Mitchum-starring Home From the Hill (1960), Camp had no Hollywood experience when he raised about $500,000 to make Benji, a story about a stray mixed breed — not a fancy pure breed like Lassie! — who helps rescue two youngsters from kidnappers.
Crucial to the movie’s success,...
Camp died Friday morning at his home in Bell Buckle, Tennessee, following a long illness, his son, filmmaker Brandon Camp, told The Hollywood Reporter.
Camp also directed and co-wrote the comedies Hawmps! (1976), about the U.S. Cavalry replacing horses with camels in the 1850s, and The Double McGuffin (1979), which revolved around kids trying to thwart a terrorist (Ernest Borgnine) and featured lots of in-jokes about Hitchcock movies.
Other than serving as an extra on the Robert Mitchum-starring Home From the Hill (1960), Camp had no Hollywood experience when he raised about $500,000 to make Benji, a story about a stray mixed breed — not a fancy pure breed like Lassie! — who helps rescue two youngsters from kidnappers.
Crucial to the movie’s success,...
- 3/15/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Gina Prince-Bythewood, the director of this summer’s hottest movie, The Old Guard, joins Josh and Joe for a cheerful discussion of the movies that shattered her.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Old Guard (2020)
The Irishman (2019)
The Other Side of the Wind (2018)
Love And Basketball (2000)
The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
First Cow (2019)
Benji (1974)
Oh! Heavenly Dog (1980)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
Bambi (1942)
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)
The Color Purple (1985)
Ghost (1990)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Ordinary People (1980)
Central Station (1998)
Life Is Beautiful (1997)
To Be Or Not To Be (1942)
Pinocchio (2002)
Like Crazy (2011)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Beyond The Lights (2014)
12 Years A Slave (2013)
Goodfellas (1990)
Dirty Pretty Things (2002)
Amy (2015)
Moonlight (2016)
The Florida Project (2017)
Man On Fire (2004)
Bridesmaids (2011)
Sex And The City: The Movie (2008)
Wonder Woman (2017)
Black Panther (2018)
Spy (2015)
Se7en (1995)
Fight Club (1999)
The Game (1997)
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)
Other Notable Items
Netflix
Martin Scorsese
Orson Welles...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Old Guard (2020)
The Irishman (2019)
The Other Side of the Wind (2018)
Love And Basketball (2000)
The Secret Life of Bees (2008)
First Cow (2019)
Benji (1974)
Oh! Heavenly Dog (1980)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
Bambi (1942)
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial (1982)
The Color Purple (1985)
Ghost (1990)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Ordinary People (1980)
Central Station (1998)
Life Is Beautiful (1997)
To Be Or Not To Be (1942)
Pinocchio (2002)
Like Crazy (2011)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Beyond The Lights (2014)
12 Years A Slave (2013)
Goodfellas (1990)
Dirty Pretty Things (2002)
Amy (2015)
Moonlight (2016)
The Florida Project (2017)
Man On Fire (2004)
Bridesmaids (2011)
Sex And The City: The Movie (2008)
Wonder Woman (2017)
Black Panther (2018)
Spy (2015)
Se7en (1995)
Fight Club (1999)
The Game (1997)
Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)
Other Notable Items
Netflix
Martin Scorsese
Orson Welles...
- 8/4/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
"He's not just any dog - he's Benji." Netflix has debuted the full-length trailer for their new Benji movie, an update/remake of the original classic dog hero movie from the 70s. We posted a short teaser trailer for this last week, but this full trailer actually looks great. 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 they end up kidnapped by robbers who are in over their heads, Benji and his scruffy sidekick come to the rescue. The film stars Kiele Sanchez, Gabriel Bateman, and Darby Camp. It's directed by Brandon Camp, whose father Joe Camp created the original. This looks quite adorable, really want to see it. Here's the full-length trailer (+ poster) for Brandon Camp's Benji, direct from Netflix's YouTube: You can still watch the teaser...
- 2/12/2018
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The world can always use more adorable canine content, and Netflix is here to fetch it for you.
On March 16 the world will reunite with dog darling Benji thanks to the beloved streaming service.
First debuting on the big screen in 1974, Benji, a small, scruffy dog with a big heart, instantly won over animal lovers with his sweet face and heroic nature. From there, the titular character went on to headline several more films in the ’70s and ’80s.
Netflix’s new take on Benji finds the mutt working to heal a broken family with two young children on the brink of danger.
On March 16 the world will reunite with dog darling Benji thanks to the beloved streaming service.
First debuting on the big screen in 1974, Benji, a small, scruffy dog with a big heart, instantly won over animal lovers with his sweet face and heroic nature. From there, the titular character went on to headline several more films in the ’70s and ’80s.
Netflix’s new take on Benji finds the mutt working to heal a broken family with two young children on the brink of danger.
- 2/12/2018
- by Kelli Bender
- PEOPLE.com
After six years (or 42, from the point of view of its canine star), Brandon Camp’s Benji reboot has finally started filming. Camp—the son of Joe Camp, who directed the 1974 original—has assembled a cast that includes The Purge: Anarchy’s Kiele Sanchez, Gabriel Bateman, Darby Camp, Will Rothhaar, Angus Sampson, Jerod Haynes, and, presumably, a pretty adorable dog.
Less authoritarian than Rin Tin Tin, more approachable than the haughtily aristocratic Lassie, Benji has traditionally been portrayed by scruffy mutts in his on-screen roles. The new Benji was apparently found in a Humane Society after being abandoned in a supermarket parking lot; now he’s on-set in New Orleans, working to foil kidnappings and bring the franchise back after a 12-year hiatus.
[via Deadline]...
Less authoritarian than Rin Tin Tin, more approachable than the haughtily aristocratic Lassie, Benji has traditionally been portrayed by scruffy mutts in his on-screen roles. The new Benji was apparently found in a Humane Society after being abandoned in a supermarket parking lot; now he’s on-set in New Orleans, working to foil kidnappings and bring the franchise back after a 12-year hiatus.
[via Deadline]...
- 10/18/2016
- by William Hughes
- avclub.com
Exclusive: Director Brandon Camp’s retelling of his father Joe Camp’s 1974 Benji movie has unveiled its cast including Kingdom and Purge: Anarchy actress Kiele Sanchez, Gabriel Bateman, Darby Camp, Will Rothhaar, Angus Sampson and Jerod Haynes. Pic, which is already in production in New Orleans, La, also boasts renowned animal consultant Mark Forbes as head trainer whose work has been seen in such movies as We Bought a Zoo, Marley & Me and Dr. and Doctor Dolittle. Also…...
- 10/18/2016
- Deadline
Brandon Camp, son of Joe Camp, will write and direct a reboot of the cute dog franchise "Benji" for Blumhouse Productions.
Yes Blumhouse, the microbudget studio responsible for "Paranormal Activity," "Insidious," "The Purge," and "Sinister" franchises, is behind the project which will allow Brandon free creative rein on the film just like his father when he created the original 1970s films and series outside the studio system.
Described as a modern retelling of the dog tale with a newly rescued new Benji, the film will follow the pooch with an uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time, usually to help someone overcome a problem.
Both Camp and Jason Blum will produce the project.
Source: Deadline
TV Promos: Outcast, Preacher, Peaky, CW Outcast
Ahead of its June 3rd premiere, Cinemax has made the pilot episode of its new exorcism drama series "Outcast" available online. Created by...
Yes Blumhouse, the microbudget studio responsible for "Paranormal Activity," "Insidious," "The Purge," and "Sinister" franchises, is behind the project which will allow Brandon free creative rein on the film just like his father when he created the original 1970s films and series outside the studio system.
Described as a modern retelling of the dog tale with a newly rescued new Benji, the film will follow the pooch with an uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time, usually to help someone overcome a problem.
Both Camp and Jason Blum will produce the project.
Source: Deadline
TV Promos: Outcast, Preacher, Peaky, CW Outcast
Ahead of its June 3rd premiere, Cinemax has made the pilot episode of its new exorcism drama series "Outcast" available online. Created by...
- 5/20/2016
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Chevy Chase's 1980 comedy Oh! Heavenly Dog is being remade by Fox 2000.
The cult film focused on a private investigator who is killed, before coming back to life as a dog to solve his own murder.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Alvin and the Chipmunks filmmaker Tim Hill will helm the project and pen the script with Dave Johnson.
Brandon Camp - the son of the original film's director Joe Camp - will produce with Temple Hill.
Chase starred in the original film alongside Jane Seymour and Omar Sharif, while the dog was played by a descendant of famous film dog Benji.
Another Chevy Chase remake, Vacation, is at cinemas now. Watch a trailer below:...
The cult film focused on a private investigator who is killed, before coming back to life as a dog to solve his own murder.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Alvin and the Chipmunks filmmaker Tim Hill will helm the project and pen the script with Dave Johnson.
Brandon Camp - the son of the original film's director Joe Camp - will produce with Temple Hill.
Chase starred in the original film alongside Jane Seymour and Omar Sharif, while the dog was played by a descendant of famous film dog Benji.
Another Chevy Chase remake, Vacation, is at cinemas now. Watch a trailer below:...
- 8/31/2015
- Digital Spy
Uggie: 'The Artist' dog star. Uggie, 'The Artist' scene-stealing dog star, has died The biggest non-human movie star of the 21st century, Uggie, whose scene-stealing cuteness helped to earn Michel Hazanavicius' The Artist the 2011 Best Picture Academy Award, has died. According to his official Facebook page, Uggie had been suffering from prostate cancer; he was euthanized last Friday, Aug. 7, '15. Born in 2002, Uggie was 13 years old. An announcement posted on Tuesday night, Aug. 11, on the Fb page Consider Uggie read: We regret to inform to all our friends, family and Uggie's fans that our beloved boy has passed away. We were not planning on posting anything until we healed a little more but unfortunately somebody leaked it to TMZ and they will be announcing it. In short, Uggie had a cancerous tumor in the prostate and is now in a better place not feeling pain.
- 8/12/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Ron Moody in Mel Brooks' 'The Twelve Chairs.' The 'Doctor Who' that never was. Ron Moody: 'Doctor Who' was biggest professional regret (See previous post: "Ron Moody: From Charles Dickens to Walt Disney – But No Harry Potter.") Ron Moody was featured in about 50 television productions, both in the U.K. and the U.S., from the late 1950s to 2012. These included guest roles in the series The Avengers, Gunsmoke, Starsky and Hutch, Hart to Hart, and Murder She Wrote, in addition to leads in the short-lived U.S. sitcom Nobody's Perfect (1980), starring Moody as a Scotland Yard detective transferred to the San Francisco Police Department, and in the British fantasy Into the Labyrinth (1981), with Moody as the noble sorcerer Rothgo. Throughout the decades, he could also be spotted in several TV movies, among them:[1] David Copperfield (1969). As Uriah Heep in this disappointing all-star showcase distributed theatrically in some countries.
- 6/19/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Well, it looks like Channing Tatum at least gets to talk about babysitting The Rock's kids before he dies.
Officially, "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" was pulled from this past summer's release calendar in order to convert the film to 3-D. Off the record, the release was delayed because Paramount realized that it's probably not wise to kill off the star of "21 Jump Street" and "Magic Mike" in the first reel.
Tatum was called in for reshoots, though if the new international trailer is any indication, it doesn't look like they amounted to much. Sure, Duke is featured in the first few beats, though after the sneak attack that wipes out most of the Joe camp, he's completely Mia. Maybe he's set for a heroic "Hey we thought you were dead!" return in the third act?
No matter how it turns out, fans should be pleased by the bit of Duke/Roadblock banter,...
Officially, "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" was pulled from this past summer's release calendar in order to convert the film to 3-D. Off the record, the release was delayed because Paramount realized that it's probably not wise to kill off the star of "21 Jump Street" and "Magic Mike" in the first reel.
Tatum was called in for reshoots, though if the new international trailer is any indication, it doesn't look like they amounted to much. Sure, Duke is featured in the first few beats, though after the sneak attack that wipes out most of the Joe camp, he's completely Mia. Maybe he's set for a heroic "Hey we thought you were dead!" return in the third act?
No matter how it turns out, fans should be pleased by the bit of Duke/Roadblock banter,...
- 11/2/2012
- by Bryan Enk
- NextMovie
While "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" director Jon Chu and its producer, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, make it clear that this sequel is technically not a reboot, that didn't stop star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson from calling it a reboot. And if you've ever had the opportunity to stand next to the 6' 4" tall The Rock for a few minutes, I can tell you now from experience, you find yourself slightly compelled to just take his word for it. I had the chance to talk to Johnson for a few minutes at the American International Toy Fair on Monday about his role as Roadblock in the G.I. Joe sequel -- and Roadblock's newfound relation to Arashikage. If we could have only been a fly on the wall when the adolescent Rock sent his G.I. Joe figures on a date with Princess Leia...
(Yes, warning, this is a very nerdy interview with The Rock.
(Yes, warning, this is a very nerdy interview with The Rock.
- 2/15/2012
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
While "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" director Jon Chu and its producer, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, make it clear that this sequel is technically not a reboot, that didn't stop star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson from calling it a reboot. And if you've ever had the opportunity to stand next to the 6' 4" tall The Rock for a few minutes, I can tell you now from experience, you find yourself slightly compelled to just take his word for it. I had the chance to talk to Johnson for a few minutes at the American International Toy Fair on Monday about his role as Roadblock in the G.I. Joe sequel -- and Roadblock's newfound relation to Arashikage. If we could have only been a fly on the wall when the adolescent Rock sent his G.I. Joe figures on a date with Princess Leia... (Yes, warning, this is a very nerdy interview with The Rock.
- 2/15/2012
- by Mike Ryan
- Moviefone
Actor Peter Breck (right, in Shock Corridor), best known for his role as the short-tempered Nick Barkley in the 1960s television series The Big Valley, died Monday, Feb. 6, in Vancouver. Breck, who had been suffering from dementia, was 82. Though mostly a TV actor (Black Saddle, Maverick, The Fall Guy), Breck also appeared in about 20 movies. The most notable among those was probably Samuel Fuller's thriller Shock Corridor (1963), in which he plays a journalist who commits himself to a mental institution in order to solve a murder. Additionally, Breck was featured in Joe Camp's blockbuster Benji (1974), about a stray dog who rescues two kidnapped children. Breck's other features were minor fare. Those included Herbert L. Strock's The Crawling Hand (1963), about the hand of a dead astronaut that spends its time strangling the living, plus Highway 61 (1991), Decoy (1995), Lulu (1996), and Jiminy Glick in Lalawood (2004). Breck is the third The Big Valley...
- 2/10/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Last week, we brought you news that action star Bruce Willis was in the process of signing on to play the original Joe, General Joe Colton, in Paramount’s G.I. Joe sequel, G.I. Joe: Retaliation. Steady casting news has been flowing from the G.I. Joe camp of director Jon M. Chu and Zombieland writing team, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick but what about the storyline for this sequel?
While a plot summary is not yet available for G.I. Joe: Retaliation, according to leaked intel via io9, “the sequel is going to be pretty strongly connected with the original film” and speculatively “more down to earth” than the first movie. We can also infer some facts from the casting calls for characters new to the G.I. Joe line-up:
Walker – a wisecracking character Brock – a tough guy from the hood Robyn – a female weapons expert Mouse – an...
While a plot summary is not yet available for G.I. Joe: Retaliation, according to leaked intel via io9, “the sequel is going to be pretty strongly connected with the original film” and speculatively “more down to earth” than the first movie. We can also infer some facts from the casting calls for characters new to the G.I. Joe line-up:
Walker – a wisecracking character Brock – a tough guy from the hood Robyn – a female weapons expert Mouse – an...
- 8/16/2011
- by Lillian 'zenbitch' Standefer
- ScifiMafia
When it comes to famous movie dogs, Benji is fairly high up on the list for reasons I don't quite understand. He didn't have any specific skills, like the child-rescuing Lassie or the cop Rin Tin Tin, but he was cute and scruffy and lord knows he's had a long film career, starting with 1974's Benji and going all the way up to 2004's Benji: Off The Leash. That last film wasn't exactly a hit but Benji is still a recognizable name, at least to people who were children in the 80s and now have children of their own to expose to their favorite movie dog. I think you can see where this is going. Variety reports that Walden Media is planning a big Benji reboot with Brandon Camp, son of the character's creator Joe Camp Jr. and a filmmaker in his own right, having directed and co-written the...
- 12/2/2010
- cinemablend.com
<img src="http://www.darkhorizons.com/assets/0013/0828/benji_article.jpg" /><p>World famous mutt Benji is making a big screen comeback in a new family adventure feature at Walden Media reports <a href="http://www.variety.com">Variety</a>.</p> <p>"Love Happens" filmmaker Brandon Camp, son of "Benji" creator Joe Camp Jr., will produce, direct and pen the script for this reboot which aims to retain the feel and charm of the original films and their emotional journeys for the character - "Benji is a heartfelt character, and he's always been an underdog."</p> <p>A nationwide search will soon begin for a canine actor to play the titular Benji and are expected to screen test dogs at a pound (the original Benji star was also a pound puppy).</p>...
- 12/2/2010
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Walden Media (Chronicles of Narnia) is planning to reboot "Benji" for a new generation of young movie-goers and has teamed with the son of "Benji" creator Joe Camp Jr to write, direct and produce. Camp (Love Happens) will begin a nationwide search to find a dog and hopes to partner with a rescue organization to "screen test dogs in pounds," he said, because the original Benji, a dog named Higgins, was a pound puppy. "My fantasy is to find a stray," he explained. "The original Benji, the one most of us grew up with, is the look that I'll be going for." Benji first appeared in 1974's "Benji," as a homeless mutt adopted by a family. That film, developed for less than $100,000, went on to earn nearly $40 million domestically and spawned four follow-ups, including the Chevy Chase detective comedy "Oh, Heavenly Dog"; a short-lived Saturday morning kids show; a holiday...
- 12/2/2010
- WorstPreviews.com
Benji is the latest franchise to get a reboot. According to Variety, Brandon Camp (Love Happens), son of Benji creator Joe Camp Jr., has partnered with Walden Media (the folks behind The Chronicles of Narnia films), to write, direct, and produce a movie resurrecting the helpful underdog mutt. His goal is to “screen test dogs in pounds” to find his star, which will make an awesome DVD special feature (unless the rejected dogs can sense the opportunity they’re missing, then you might as well just show me the Sarah McLachlan Aspca ad).
Brandon Camp told the trade he wants...
Brandon Camp told the trade he wants...
- 12/2/2010
- by Mandi Bierly
- EW.com - PopWatch
“There's a voice that keeps on calling me. Down the road, that's where I'll always…” No. Hang on… That’s The Littlest Hobo. Let’s try that again. Scrappy mutt Benji is the one planning a cinematic comeback, and he’s got some familiar (and familial) support behind him.Brandon Camp, who last directed Aaron Eckhart/Jennifer Aniston romance-fest Love Happens, is aiming to get his father Joe Camp Jr’s canine creation in front of a fresh audience, sealing a deal with Walden Media to make a new movie and launching a search for the right shelter dog to play the loveable hound. "My fantasy is to find a stray," Camp tells Variety. "The original Benji, the one most of us grew up with, is the look that I'll be going for."First unleashed (sorry) on the world in 1974 by ad man Joe, the tale of Benji has been an underdog (no,...
- 12/2/2010
- EmpireOnline
Walden Media has hired Brandon Camp to write, direct and produce a reboot of the popular canine character "Benji."According to Variety, Camp is the son of "Benji" creator Joe Camp Jr.Walden Media, responsible for the "Chronicles of Narnia" franchise, is based out of Fox.Camp recently co-wrote and directed Universal's "Love Happens," starring Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston. The franchise began in 1974 with "Benji." In the film, "Benji" is a stray dog that is taken in by a Texas family and helps to rescue the children of the family when they are kidnapped.The film was produced for less than $100,000 and went on to earn nearly $40 million domestically. Joe Camp Jr. and his wife, Carolyn, opened the film in...
- 12/1/2010
- by Adnan Tezer
- Monsters and Critics
Every score of years (that's 20), one dog makes his mark in film. In the 1950s, it was Lassie. In the 1970s, it was Benji. In the 1990s, it was Beethoven. So here we are, in 2010 and, no movie dog has really marked his territory. So, Walden Media is bring back Benji.
Benji was an adorable mutt who went on adventures and the movies were told from the dog's perspective. Benji was brought back in 2004 for Benji Off the Leash which didn't do that great at the box office, $3.8 million to be exact.
The Benji films were created by Joe Camp and his son, Brandon Camp, will write, direct and produce this new movie. Job One is finding a new Benji and Camp is searching dog pounds across America in hopes of finding a talented Benji lookalike. The original Benji (whose real name was Higgins) was found in a dog pound.
Benji was an adorable mutt who went on adventures and the movies were told from the dog's perspective. Benji was brought back in 2004 for Benji Off the Leash which didn't do that great at the box office, $3.8 million to be exact.
The Benji films were created by Joe Camp and his son, Brandon Camp, will write, direct and produce this new movie. Job One is finding a new Benji and Camp is searching dog pounds across America in hopes of finding a talented Benji lookalike. The original Benji (whose real name was Higgins) was found in a dog pound.
- 12/1/2010
- by tara@kidspickflicks.com (Tara the Mom)
- kidspickflicks
Since favorite canines like Scooby-Doo and Marmaduke have made a launch to the big screen, why not bring back a scruffy, lovable dog who doesn't sound like a smart-ass or get scared by ghosts? Variety reports Walden Media, the Fox-based company behind the Chronicles of Narnia franchise, is looking to reboot the family friendly franchise Benji with the Brandon Camp, son of franchise creator Joe Camp Jr., to write direct and produce a film to bring the dog back to the big screen. While Benji may be a family favorite for some, the motivation behind this new project isn't exactly one of creative necessity, and actually sounds like a desperate snag for money. Camp is quoted as saying that this is a great time for the return of Benji "from a business point of view." While most recognizable brands and characters are heading to the big screen because they're more...
- 12/1/2010
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
One of the most adorable dogs in the world is making his return back to theaters fairly soon. That's right, the super-duper lovable "Benji" is coming back with the help of Twentieth Century Fox's Walden Media. The son of "Benji" creator Joe Camp Jr., Brandon Camp, will be writing and directing the new installment. Now the search is on to find a cute stray dog to be the new Benji. "My fantasy is to find a stray," Camp said. "The original Benji, the one most of us grew up with, is the look that I'll be going for.""Benji is a heartfelt character, and he's always been an underdog," Camp said. "Many companies are interested in bringing back a project purely for the namesake and not the storytelling." Camp's been behind the camera before, the most recent writing and directing run being the Aaron Eckhart romantic drama "Love Happens." No...
- 12/1/2010
- LRMonline.com
Filed under: Movie News, Cinematical
Benji, the canine star of an Academy Award-nominated film, will be brought back to life in a reboot tailored to young consumers moviegoers, according to Variety. The dream is to find a suitable stray through a rescue organization, thus plucking a lucky young dog out of a pound and making him (or her) a star.
Brandon Camp, son of 'Benji' filmmaker Joe Camp Jr., will write, direct and produce. While he feels that the time is right for a reboot from "a business point of view," he insists that he's most interested in bringing the story of a heartfelt "underdog" (his word, not ours) to the big screen. Flying in the face of (recent) conventional wisdom that has seen dogs most often portrayed by computers ('Bolt') or a combination of animal, computer graphics, and human voices ('Cats & Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore'), the...
Benji, the canine star of an Academy Award-nominated film, will be brought back to life in a reboot tailored to young consumers moviegoers, according to Variety. The dream is to find a suitable stray through a rescue organization, thus plucking a lucky young dog out of a pound and making him (or her) a star.
Brandon Camp, son of 'Benji' filmmaker Joe Camp Jr., will write, direct and produce. While he feels that the time is right for a reboot from "a business point of view," he insists that he's most interested in bringing the story of a heartfelt "underdog" (his word, not ours) to the big screen. Flying in the face of (recent) conventional wisdom that has seen dogs most often portrayed by computers ('Bolt') or a combination of animal, computer graphics, and human voices ('Cats & Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore'), the...
- 12/1/2010
- by Peter Martin
- Moviefone
Filed under: Movie News, Cinematical
Benji, the canine star of an Academy Award-nominated film, will be brought back to life in a reboot tailored to young consumers moviegoers, according to Variety. The dream is to find a suitable stray through a rescue organization, thus plucking a lucky young dog out of a pound and making him (or her) a star.
Brandon Camp, son of 'Benji' filmmaker Joe Camp Jr., will write, direct and produce. While he feels that the time is right for a reboot from "a business point of view," he insists that he's most interested in bringing the story of a heartfelt "underdog" (his word, not ours) to the big screen. Flying in the face of (recent) conventional wisdom that has seen dogs most often portrayed by computers ('Bolt') or a combination of animal, computer graphics, and human voices ('Cats & Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore'), the...
Benji, the canine star of an Academy Award-nominated film, will be brought back to life in a reboot tailored to young consumers moviegoers, according to Variety. The dream is to find a suitable stray through a rescue organization, thus plucking a lucky young dog out of a pound and making him (or her) a star.
Brandon Camp, son of 'Benji' filmmaker Joe Camp Jr., will write, direct and produce. While he feels that the time is right for a reboot from "a business point of view," he insists that he's most interested in bringing the story of a heartfelt "underdog" (his word, not ours) to the big screen. Flying in the face of (recent) conventional wisdom that has seen dogs most often portrayed by computers ('Bolt') or a combination of animal, computer graphics, and human voices ('Cats & Dogs: Revenge of Kitty Galore'), the...
- 12/1/2010
- by Peter Martin
- Cinematical
Most kids today probably have no idea who or what Benji is but that's about to change. Fox and Walden are teaming up on a reboot of the classic film series about a heroic stray dog. Writing and directing the film will be Joe Camp, Jr. (Love Happens) who just happens to be the son of Joe Camp, creator of the franchise. Camp says he's launching a nationwide search to find a new Benji with hopes that, like the original dog, he can find a stray in a dog pound. He said he paired with...
- 12/1/2010
- by Mike Sampson
- JoBlo.com
The lovable and scruffy pooch Benji will return to the big screen via Walden Media. Brandon Camp, son of "Benji" creator Joe Camp Jr., is set to write, direct and produce a film which will reboot the character to fresh young viewers. According to Variety, Camp will begin a nationwide to find a dog and hopes to partner with a rescue organization to "screen test dogs in pounds," he said, as the original Benji (a dog called Higgins), was a pound puppy himself. Camp said that his "fantasy is to find a stray. The original Benji, the one most of us grew up with, is the look that I'll be going for."...
- 12/1/2010
- Upcoming-Movies.com
The lovable and scruffy pooch Benji will return to the big screen via Walden Media. Brandon Camp, son of "Benji" creator Joe Camp Jr., is set to write, direct and produce a film which will reboot the character to fresh young viewers. According to Variety, Camp will begin a nationwide to find a dog and hopes to partner with a rescue organization to "screen test dogs in pounds," he said, as the original Benji (a dog called Higgins), was a pound puppy himself. Camp said that his "fantasy is to find a stray. The original Benji, the one most of us grew up with, is the look that I'll be going for."...
- 12/1/2010
- Upcoming-Movies.com
While a return to the G.I. Joe camp seemed certain after Zombieland writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick were hired to put pen to paper for the sequel's screenplay, it was unclear whether the first film's director Stephen Sommers would be back on board... until now (dum dum Dum!). Ok, so it's really not that dramatic, but yes, The Wrap is reporting that Sommers will indeed be at the helm for the follow-up to G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra.
G.I. Joe 2 will be something of a reunion as all the main cast, including Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Sienna Miller and, most importantly, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, have contracts obligating their involvement in a sequel, so presumably we can expect much of the same goofy nonsense, silly gadgetry and hamminess. Plot details are non-existent, but apparently Paramount is pleased with the script, so three cheers for Reese and Wernick.
No release date as yet,...
G.I. Joe 2 will be something of a reunion as all the main cast, including Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Sienna Miller and, most importantly, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, have contracts obligating their involvement in a sequel, so presumably we can expect much of the same goofy nonsense, silly gadgetry and hamminess. Plot details are non-existent, but apparently Paramount is pleased with the script, so three cheers for Reese and Wernick.
No release date as yet,...
- 8/4/2010
- Screenrush
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.