FROM FAMILY DAD TO FAMILY DOG…AND BACK AGAIN
Tim Allen gains a whole new point of view on becoming a great dad when he's accidentally transformed into a great big dog in this fresh, fun update of one of Disney's most beloved family comedy classics, THE SHAGGY DOG.
The hairy adventures begin as unbeatable Deputy D.A. Dave Douglas (ALLEN) takes on his latest legal case--this time involving a criminal animal laboratory. It's yet another ambitious assignment that will whisk workaholic Dave away from his wife (KRISTIN DAVIS) and kids (ZENA GREY and SPENCER BRESLIN), who yearn for his attention. But when Dave is accidentally infected with a top-secret genetic-mutation serum that morphs his body into that of the family's new pet Bearded Collie, everything he thought he knew about being himself and a part of his family changes. Now, with his perked-up ears, and his front-row seat on the household carpet, Dave is able to gain an entirely different perspective into his family's secrets and dreams. Inspired by what he discovers, Dave wants nothing more than to stop fetching and return to fathering--only first he'll have to stop the evil genius (ROBERT DOWNEY JR.) behind the serum…in a literally wild chase that will finally give him a chance to become man's--and his family's--best friend.
Based on the hugely successful 1959 classic starring box-office favorites Fred MacMurray, Jean Hagen and Tommy Kirk--one of the first and most successful live-action Disney comedies--this new version raises the "woof" on the traditional tale with a fresh blend of contemporary humor and digital technology. Real animal stars have been merged with Stan Winston Studio's innovative animatronic puppets and Tippett Studio's CGI creations to add to the sidesplitting surprises.
THE SHAGGY DOG stars Tim Allen, Robert Downey Jr., Kristin Davis, Danny Glover, Spencer Breslin, Zena Grey, Jane Curtin and Philip Baker Hall. 
The film is a Walt Disney Pictures, Mandeville Films and Boxing Cat Films production directed by Brian Robbins. David Hoberman and Tim Allen produce, with Robert Simonds, Todd Lieberman, William Fay and Matthew Carroll serving as executive producers. The screenplay is by The Wibberleys and Geoff Rodkey and Jack Amiel & Michael Begler and is based on "The Shaggy Dog" screenplay by Bill Walsh and Lillie Hayward and "The Shaggy D.A." screenplay by Don Tait.
Creating the hair-raising hijinks of a dad-turned-dog is a creative team that includes production designer Leslie McDonald, cinematographer Gabriel Beristain, editor Ned Bastille, costume designer Molly Maginnis, visual effects supervisor Stephen Rosenbaum, visual effects producer Blondel Aidoo, special effects supervisor John S. Baker, stunt coordinator Tim Trella and animatronics effects supervisors J. Alan Scott and Paul Mejias.

UPDATING A CLASSIC COMIC TALE
In 1959, Walt Disney set a new landmark for timeless family comedies with "The Shaggy Dog," one of the studio's very first black-and-white, live-action feature films, and a hilarious twist on the notion of a "shaggy dog story"--in which one madcap event follows another in a tale you just have to follow to its surprising conclusion. In this version, directed by Charles Barton, it was the family's son, teenaged Wilby Daniels (played by teen screen idol Tommy Kirk) who was transformed into a shaggy sheepdog after being cursed by an ancient amulet. In his shocking new state, Wilby had to convince his dog-fearing, pet-allergic mailman father, played with comic charm by Fred MacMurray, that he had been converted into a canine--and would have to stop a secret Soviet spy mission if he was ever to be fully human again. Filled with slapstick chases and unforgettable sight gags, including a sheepdog behind the wheel of a speeding hot rod, the film became utterly unforgettable to almost every child who saw it--ushering in the family comedy genre with a bang.
Everyone's favorite furry character returned again nearly two decades later, in 1976, with "The Shaggy D.A.," winning over yet another generation of kids. This time, the story starred Dean Jones as a grown-up Wilby Daniels--a lawyer about to run for election as District Attorney, even though his propensity for suddenly shifting into the body of a dog continued to "hound" him!
Flash forward to the turn of the 21st century…when the hugely popular family comedian Tim Allen began to wonder if he could teach some new tricks to this still-beloved dog tale, bringing the story in brand-new, innovative incarnation to the most demanding and sophisticated moviegoing generation of kids yet. After all, movie technology had made quantum leaps in the years since the original "Shaggy Dog" had so entranced audiences, which would allow Shaggy to come to life with more realism and visual surprises than ever.
Says Allen: "Seeing the original "Shaggy Dog" was a huge event in my childhood--it seemed to have so much magic, and I've always thought of it as one of the most memorable and fun movies from that time. But looking back at it, you realize the memory of it has held up far better than the reality of the movie itself. It had a big impact on a lot of kids back then, but the technology used in the late '50s is now hilariously outdated. So I loved the idea of updating a true classic, of taking something from a long time ago and bringing it to life in a fun and exciting way again. The challenge of really reinventing this story had a very strong appeal to me."
Known for his creative, family-oriented sense of humor, Allen also liked the idea of taking a walk on the wild side as an actor, exploring his most primal comedy instincts as he envisioned bringing the story up to date from a completely new POV--that of a disconnected father forced at last to see his family through the affectionate eyes of the family dog. When he approached Disney, the studio was equally intrigued by the idea of Allen bringing one of their true classics screaming into the modern era.
The studio in turn brought producer David Hoberman ("Bringing Down the House," "Eight Below") on board, and things began to move forward rapidly. Says Hoberman: "Like Tim, I remembered the original film very lovingly from childhood, so I thought this was a great idea, especially with Tim's involvement, because he is one of the few actors who you know has that unique kind of physical comedy talent to really allow himself to go way out there as the dad who turns into a dog. So once we got the go-ahead, we moved quickly, and our first priority was forging a really fun and contemporary script."
Using both the original "The Shaggy Dog" and "The Shaggy D.A." as inspiration, a screenplay was crafted by a team of accomplished comedy writers: Cormac & Marianne Wibberley, Geoff Rodkey and Jack Amiel & Michael Begler. Hoberman was especially pleased that the script was not only rife with hilarious slapstick and escapades but also the story of a man who has to learn to sit, stay and simply be with his family so that he can become the father he always wanted to be for them. 
"The story is really about a man who turns into man's best friend and, in the process, figures out what it means to be his family's best friend," explains the producer. "What's great is that in turning into a dog, Dave kind of gets to be a fly on the wall and see his wife and kids in a whole new light. Suddenly, they're sharing things with him as a dog they would never share when he's Dad. That's the emotional core of the film, and there's something very moving and endearing about watching this transformation."
Adds Allen: "What was important to me was throwing in a bit of heart and soul. As the story lets Dave go where only dogs can go and hear what only dogs can hear, Dave actually starts to realize that he can be a better human. So it's hilariously funny, but it's also a great family story."
Next on the agenda was finding a director, and for this, Allen and Hoberman turned to Brian Robbins, who previously demonstrated his broad comic flair in such features as the hit teen comedy "Varsity Blues," the inspirational sports drama "Hard Ball" with Keanu Reeves and the high school crime caper "The Perfect Score" with Scarlett Johansson.
A dad himself, Robbins was instantly enthusiastic about taking on such a family-oriented fantasy-adventure. "I have two boys, aged 7 and 5, and I had really been wanting to do a big family movie when Disney approached me about THE SHAGGY DOG," he explains. "With such a classic title, and with Tim Allen already set to star, I knew this was a great opportunity to create something that not only my kids would have a chance to enjoy but all kinds of families would have fun watching together. That's what really drew me in."
Robbins also strongly related to the film's underlying themes. "I think the story touches upon a syndrome every modern family can relate to--that we're all so busy with our careers and our activities that it's all too easy for parents and kids to become detached from one another. Sometimes it takes something to sort of pull a family together--and in this case, it's a shaggy dog!"
Then there was the icing on the cake for Robbins: the chance to work closely with Tim Allen in a role that lets him push to the wildest reaches of his comic abilities. "When you work with someone like Tim, you know right from the start that all the usual rules will be thrown out. That's exactly what this story needed--that rare person who would be willing to go to the edge and really explore the funny side of a man who is forced to be a dog, while also trying to act like a D.A. and a dad," sums up Robbins. "I think people will find Allen's dog impressions hysterical. This new version is a bigger story with more laughs, more scope and a more exciting ride for audiences."

THE HAIRIEST ROLE HE'S HAD YET: TIM ALLEN TAKES ON DAVE DOUGLAS, D.A.-TURNED-BEARDED-COLLIE
In his career as one of America's favorite family comedians, Tim Allen has taken on a wide variety of memorable comical characters, from the accident-prone handyman of "Home Improvement" to the reluctant Santa of the "Santa Clause" series to the delightfully deluded Buzz Lightyear action figure in the runaway hit "Toy Story." But nothing could have prepared him for his latest role: as a district attorney who finds the going gets rather "ruff" when a genetic-mutation serum turns him from a distracted dad into the family dog.
For Allen, playing Dave Douglas meant more than just looking at the funny side of human life--it also meant exploring life as a dog. "From the start, I wanted to play the role as real as possible, to really try to imagine what it would feel like and look like to be a guy who's turned into a dog," Allen explains. "That turns out to be pretty hard--but it also led to some of the funniest and most unexpected stuff that happens in the film. I especially love the scenes where Dave is trying to go through his normal day--as a lawyer and as a father--but he simply can't ignore the smells, sights, sounds and instinctive drives of his new animal persona!"
A dog lover himself, Allen began by analyzing what exactly makes them so amusing, so lovable, so downright…doggy. "I've had dogs all my life, and I've always watched their behavior and wondered about what they might be thinking," he admits. "So for this role, I personally tried out all their behaviors--sniffing people, licking people's faces, running on all fours, jumping on tables, chasing a cat all over town. It was pretty interesting. My main goal with the dog imitations was simply to make people laugh as hard as they can, which means never playing it safe. I want kids to laugh, but I also want adults to come out laughing, too."
Along with the fun of the role also came the drama of a man learning more about fatherhood than he ever imagined by sitting and staying on the living-room floor. Allen explains his take on Dave's journey of transformation: "Dave is someone who is well on his way to making an important career for himself, but suddenly he has to ask: At what cost? He's always saying, 'Eventually I'll be there for the kids,' 'Eventually I'll be there for my wife after I'm elected D.A.' But when he turns into Shaggy, he gets a wonderful opportunity, the kind we usually don't get, to see his life through other people's eyes. It's almost like an 'It's a Wonderful Life' in that Dave gets to see what his family is like when he's not around--and through that, he learns to pay attention to the people he loves in a new way."
The role had its poignant moments, but it also had its physical challenges. "One thing you realize is that dogs really move quickly and humans can't move that fast. They found some interesting ways with wires and technology to allow me to move really fast but it tore up my hands. Apparently, it helps to have paws," Allen laughs. "Still, I was able to run through hedges and leap over things and it was really fun and freeing to do all that kind of impossible stuff in a human body."
Throughout, director Brian Robbins was kept in stitches by Allen's fearlessly canine-like performance. "You have to be really uninhibited as an actor and a comedian to play this role like Tim did," he observes. "He was willing and able to stick his head in a bowl of cereal, to run on all fours, to chase his tail, to dash through sprinklers and to get locked up in a cage naked--and he wasn't just goofing around, he really went for each scene 100 percent. It was so much fun to watch, because he completely 'got' what it was that a dog would and wouldn't do and he brought that to life in a human form. I really think there are only a handful of actors who could do this and make it as wonderful as Tim and, at the same time, make you really care about this character and this family."
Allen was also thrilled to be working with so many other talented and original comedians in THE SHAGGY DOG. He says of his fellow castmates: "Jane Curtin is hilarious as the judge in the chaotic courtroom scenes, Danny Glover is always amazing, Kristin Davis is gorgeous and fun, and when I saw Robert Downey Jr. do his dog imitation, I said to myself, 'Now that's funny.' He was truly inspired."

ACTING LIKE ANIMALS: THE NON-HUMAN CAST
Even with the talented cast of humans starring in THE SHAGGY DOG, everyone involved in the production seems to agree that one of the most notable and astonishing performances to emerge from the film will be that of Coal, a Bearded Collie making his motion-picture debut as Tim Allen's canine alter ego. From the first few days of working with him, the cast and crew quickly became aware that Coal was no run-of-the-mill animal actor. Instead, like a furry version of Sir Laurence Olivier, he proved himself able to turn on a dime and deliver the director's commands in record time with flawless and emotional performances.
To cast and train Coal and the five other dogs who help to play Shaggy, producer Dave Hoberman brought in leading Hollywood animal trainers from Birds and Animals Unlimited--the company Hoberman also worked with to train the heroic huskies on Disney's Antarctic adventure "Eight Below."

NEW TRICKS FOR A CLASSIC DOG: ENHANCING SHAGGY WITH SPECIAL EFFECTS
Even with Coal's uncanny canine acting abilities, the story of THE SHAGGY DOG still called for a number of eye-popping actions no dog was going to be able to perform--including morphing back and forth into a human dad. So right off the bat, the filmmakers began investigating how the latest in special effects could help to give this classic story a whole new life. "We wanted the movie to be funny, but there is also a sci-fi element to the story and we wanted to be as true to that part of the action as we could," says Brian Robbins.
To start, the filmmakers asked the creative wizards at Stan Winston Studio to come up with a life-size animatronic "puppet dog" that could go where no dog has gone before. "Coal was amazing, but there are still certain things he couldn't do--like roll his eyes or shake his head in a certain fashion," explains producer Dave Hoberman. "By using the animatronic dog along with CGI enhancements, we were really able to capture some great expressions and actions that add to the comedy and excitement."
Stan Winston Studio faced a tough challenge--matching a living, breathing Bearded Collie with a robotic double that had to mirror the real thing precisely! Animatronic effects supervisor Alan Scott began by closely observing Coal in action to precisely replicate his color, body type and even his very special joie de vivre. "We were able to videotape him, photograph him, take all sorts of measurements and even scan him," says Scott. "We don't usually get this kind of close proximity to the animals we're creating, so it was wonderful. We were able to really hone the creation, and it shows in the results."
Later, visual effects supervisor Stephen Rosenbaum and visual effects producer Blondel Aidoo were brought in to further enhance Shaggy's mix of human and canine qualities. "Our job ranged from creating a variety of realistic-looking animals within a computer to painting out wires that were used to allow Tim Allen to run fast on all fours," explains Rosenbaum.
Some of the most difficult visual effects involved switching back and forth between using real dogs, animatronic dogs and CGI dogs in the same scene. "The computer-generated animals had to be cut seamlessly together with the live-animal action shots, so we had to collaborate closely with the dog trainers so that we were always all on the same page," Rosenbaum notes. "We were really lucky that the animals on this film delivered such strong performances that were filled with character. As a result, we were able to use CG to extend and enhance their performances into even more exciting sequences."
Then there was a whole menagerie to bring to digital life, a task Rosenbaum turned over to the CGI experts at Tippett Studio. "Tippett Studio created a variety of CG animals, including four rabbits, six rats, one cat, a King Cobra, a mutant creature and, of course, parts of Shaggy. We went to them because they are among the best at interpreting character and animating life into these creatures. They are also technically adept at creating fur and skin so that it moves and looks correct. My job was pushing them towards creating something that would be fun to watch yet also believable," says Rosenbaum.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
BRIAN ROBBINS (Director) previously directed and produced "The Perfect Score,"  As a partner in Tollin/Robbins Productions (TRP), Robbins was producer (with Michael Tollin), of the film "Dreamer," TRP also produced the Paramount release "Coach Carter," He also produced the Tollin-directed "Radio" Other films produced under the TRP banner include "Summer Catch" and "Big Fat Liar," along with the documentary "Hank Aaron: Chasing the Dream,"  TRP also recently produced the sequel to their 1993 documentary "Hardwood Dreams'. Along with Mike Tollin, Robbins is also responsible for four prime-time television series currently in production. Three of those air on The WB--"Smallville," "One Tree Hill" and "What I Like About You"--and the fourth is the newly debuted "Crumbs" on ABC.
THE WIBBERLEYS (Screenplay) are a husband-and-wife writing team who both grew up in Southern California and attended the same high school. They also both attended UCLA, where they earned bachelor's degrees--Marianne in Mathematics and Cormac in Economics. Marianne then went on to UCLA's graduate Film School.  In 1993, they sold their first spec script to Disney and have been writing together ever since. "The 6th Day" starring Arnold Schwarzenegger was their first major motion picture. Since then, the Wibberleys have also penned "National Treasure," "I-Spy," "Bad Boys II" and "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle." They are currently working on a remake of "Robin Hood" as well as a feature-film version of the classic television show "I Dream of Jeannie," both for Sony Pictures.
GEOFF RODKEY (Screenplay), a former research assistant for Al Franken, wrote for the cartoon hit "Beavis and Butthead" and the comedy series "Lateline" and was nominated for an Emmy^® for his work on "Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher." He previously wrote the feature film "Daddy Day Care" starring Eddie Murphy and wrote Barry Sonnenfeld's forthcoming "R.V.," starring Robin Williams.
JACK AMIEL & MICHAEL BEGLER (Screenplay) worked for more than a decade on numerous network sitcoms before moving into feature films. In 2004, they broke in with two major features: Disney's "Raising Helen," directed by Gary Marshall and starring Kate Hudson, and "The Prince & Me," for director Martha Coolidge, starring Julia Stiles.
Native New Yorkers, from Manhattan and Long Island respectively, Amiel and Begler first met at the University of Wisconsin--Madison, where Amiel majored in History and Begler in English. They became writing partners for the first time when they entered the university's long-standing musical-comedy contest, "Humorology."   They currently have several projects in development at various studios.