Fox Adapts Marmaduke

Marmaduke is making his way to the silver screen.

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Fox is handling the big screen adaptation. Based on the long-time running comic strip, Marmaduke is about the Winslow family and revolves around their Great Dane, Marmaduke.

According to movie Web site JoBlo, Fox has yet to decide whether the film will be a live-action adaptation, animated, or a mix of both, a la Garfield and Alvin and the Chipmunks.

HollywoodReporter.com adds that Fox has signed director Tom Dey to direct the adaptation.

The guys over at JoBlo are not excited about the prospects, writing, "At least 'Garfield' was based off a comic strip that had some funny moments over the years. 'Marmaduke' makes 'Family Circus' look like 'Chappelle's Show.' It is a black hole of humor. We've had 'Beethoven' and 'Marley and Me' - do we really need a 'Marmaduke?' I know I don't."

The award winning comic strip, written by Brad Anderson, was first published in 1954 and continues to the present day. The great dane has been pretty popular, even making a run of appearances in the cartoon, Heathcliffe, in the 1980s, according to Animation Magazine.