After the jump you can watch the just-released teaser for Fox’s (who else) Marmaduke, featuring the voice of Owen Wilson.  In just 41 seconds it manages to squeeze in both “California” by Phantom Planet (formerly of the opening sequence of The OC) and Tupac’s “California Love.”  It’s all part of the new tourism campaign for California. California: The dogs in sunglasses state.  COWABUNGA!  *rides off on skateboard, falls down*

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(A GREAT Dane in a MINI Cooper, get it?? Hahaha, classic!)

Hey, remember that episode of The Simpsons where Homer became a voice on Itchy & Scratchy?  For Poochie, the super-cool dog?  The makers of Marmaduke sure do. *triple fakie kickflip rail ollie*

“We’ve approached the movie like a John Hughes movie with dogs,” Director Tom Dey says.  “Marmaduke is a teenager, and he’s trying to find his way in the world,” Dey says. “It’s a boy-meets-girl story, a coming-of-age and cautionary tale.”

Oh, and did I mention dogs that surf?

“I asked [the trainer] if he could teach the dog to surf,” Dey says. “Mike said he didn’t know if he could even get the dog in the water. The Danes he’s worked with in the past have not wanted to go into the water.”
So a plot point is Marmaduke, who hates water, being forced to enter a surf competition to save face for his owner.
“Mike started to work with him,” Dey says. “I was amazed. I actually went out with him when he was training him in the water. I saw him get on a wave and ride. That was unbelievable. I don’t think anyone’s seen a Great Dane surf before.” [USA Today]

Only in my wildest, most cocaine-fueled beer-commercial-idea brainstorming sessions.

Continuing their tradition of making actors do embarrassing stunts for money, Fox has hired Owen Wilson to be the voice of Marmaduke (rest of the cast here).  Fox is essentially Hollywood’s answer to the guys from Bumfights.

Wilson’s boarding is the last piece of the puzzle for the live-action/CG movie, which has shades of Fox’s surprise smash “Marley & Me” [i.e., it involves a dog -Ed.] and follows a family named the Winslows who move from Kansas to Orange County with their dog Marmaduke, a slobbery pooch who creates chaos wherever he goes.  Tom Dey (Shanghai Noon, Failure to Launch) is directing, and John Davis is producing the family comedy, which has a June 2010 release date. [THR]

For his part, Owen Wilson has been preparing for the role by playing basically the same character in You, Me, and Dupree.

MATT DILLON:  “Dupree! Did you crap on the carpet again?  You’re the worst house guest ever!”
OWEN WILSON: “Hey, man, I’m a free spirit.”

(*air guitar*)

Building off of their successes with Garfield, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakwel, Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties, and Daring God to Pull the Trigger on the Apocalypse Part 4, Fox has found the voice cast for its upcoming Marmaduke movie.  And it will probably be really good because they hired the director of Failure to Launch.  When you think about it, Matthew McConaughey is kind of like an incorrigible great dane.  Always being naked and ruining dinner parties.  Also, they picked up the screenwriting team from License to Wed, about which one reviewer said:

“Josef Goebbels had a home movie made of the failed 1944 Hitler assassins being hanged from meathooks with piano wire. It probably had more laughs, more fun, more feelgood moments than this family comedy.”

Oh boy, where do I sign up?  Anyway, here’s the cast:

Judy Greer had been mentioned to play Debbie Winslow, while Lee Pace from “Pushing Daisies” is playing Phil Winslow.  Amanda Seyfried voices “Mazie,” Jeremy Piven is “Bosco,” Ron Perlman plays “Chupadogra,” Christopher Mintz-Plasse (aka “McLovin”) is “Guiseppe,” while Black Eyed Peas singer Stacy “Fergie” Ferguson is “Jezebel.” Steve Coogan voices “Raisin,” George Lopez is “Carlos” and Damon Wayans Jr. provides the voice for “Thunder.” [ComingSoon]

This sounds great.  I remember growing up, every day I would rush home from school, burst in the door, throw my backpack to the ground and shout, “Is the new Marmaduke here???”  “It sure is!” my mom would say, hurrying over with the paper.  And without fail I would demand to know, “IS CHUPADOGRA IN THIS ONE???”

I know I keep saying Fox’s execs must all have fetal alcohol syndrome, but I’m not sure even that fully explains it. I’m beginning to think they begin all their pitch meetings with, “Okay, guys: What’s the stupidest f–king thing you can think of?”

In its latest animal-central project, Fox has signed director Tom Dey to develop a big-screen adaptation of “Marmaduke.” Brad Anderson created the decades-running newspaper comic, which revolves around a mischievous Great Dane who lives with the Winslow family in 1954. The project is in the early stages of development, and the studio declined comment on specifics. It hasn’t been decided whether “Marmaduke” will be a live-action film, animated or a mutt [sic].
The studio also has “We Bought a Zoo” and the Farrelly brothers’ project “Walter the Farting Dog” in development.
Dey directed “Shanghai Noon,” “Showtime” and “Failure to Launch.” [Yahoo]

Marmaduke? My only issue is that it seems almost too relevant, too current for a film adaptation.  I’ve heard Tippecanoe had a terrier who was rather popular amongst cartoonists of the day. If only they’d had CGI!

[see also The Marmaduke Project. I think this one's my favorite.]