Some will say that Cats and Dogs is not the best spy movie, nor is it the best movie in general. But no one can say that it is an unoriginal film. The classic confrontation between species reaches unthinkable levels of delirium, with unlikely heroes and bizarre villains. Completing a project like this had its complexities, and represented a crucial moment in the life and career of its filmmakers. The origin of such a crazy project comes from its first two creative minds: John Requa and Glenn Ficarra. They met while studying in a Pratt Institute film program and discovered that they had affinities. They wanted to be directors, but realized their chances would be difficult. Then Requa read that to be a great filmmaker it was necessary to master the script. Ficarra wasn't that interested in writing, but since he knew that no one was going to give them money to film, he recognized that it would be better for them to create their own projects. At first they read books about how to make good scripts, but they learned more from watching movies and living life. Once they graduated, they had a hard time getting job opportunities. The bad streak ended when Nickelodeon opened its doors to them. There they wrote several of their programs for children and youth audiences, and above all, they learned to perfect themselves as scriptwriters. And this information is perfect for me to tell you that this video is sponsored by my new film scriptwriting course. Stay until the end because there is a discount code. But what Requa and Ficarra wanted was to get into movies, to make a career out of movies. In the late 90s, while participating in the animated series The Grumpy Beavers, they began to consider ideas for a feature film script. It had to be accessible to the general public, but not nonsense either. They both shared a satirical humor, and they wanted to capture it on the pages. They tried some ideas, until they remembered the eternal rivalry between dogs and cats. From there they began to ask themselves a question: Why do dogs chase cats? That question inspired them to invent their own version of animal confrontation, but combined with an espionage thriller. The story would center on Lou, a Beagle puppy who is adopted by the Brodys, a suburban family. As he begins to get acquainted with his new life, he discovers that the other dogs in the neighborhood make up a secret organization. The mission: protect the world from the cat threat. Lou is mistaken for a new spy, and must learn the trade to stop Mr. Tinkles, a white Persian cat who intends to take over the world. After four months, Requa and Ficarra finished the first draft of a project called Cats & Dogs, or Like dogs and cats in Spanish. The next step was to find someone who might be interested in filming it, and they did it quickly. Producers Chris DeFaria and Mario Lazar read the material and immediately recognized its potential; That mix of comedy and adventure was irresistible. And as pet owners, they were able to tune into the premise. Lazar jokingly told himself that every time he woke up in the morning and his dogs had broken something, it was because they were trying to protect it. The enthusiastic DeFaria and Lazar managed to interest the top brass at Warner Bros. The next step was to find the right director for such an unusual proposal. The perfect candidate was Robert Rodriguez, who had made a name for himself with films like El Mariachi and From Dusk Till Dawn. He had said that he wanted to target a younger audience, but he was already preparing his own film along those lines: Mini Spies. Without despairing, DeFaria and Lazar continued searching, until they found the Canadian Lawrence Guterman. As a child he filmed some short films, although he did not see himself working as a director. He studied Physics at Harvard University, but regretted it. To make matters worse, he began to suffer hearing loss after attending a party. A noisy environment could mean a nightmare. Then he decided to bet on what he loved and returned to cinema. He began working at Dreamworks, where he impressed Steven Spielberg himself . Thanks to that he was able to direct some sequences of Antz (1998), the first company's digital animation feature film. In the late '90s, Guterman left Dreamworks to explore new horizons. The desire to direct a film coincided with the proposal for Like Dogs and Cats. He loved the first draft of the script and it made him fantasize about the possible double life of his own pet, a golden retriever. As a first step, Guterman got together with Requa and Ficarra. The director and screenwriters hit it off instantly, and the three began polishing the script. The process would take two and a half years, but for Requa and Ficarra it was an enriching experience: they learned how to take notes and how not to go overboard with direction indications on the page. They also learned about the politics of a studio and how not to get attached to ideas and details. Although the development of the script was going well, a key aspect remains to be resolved: how to tell the film. At first it was considered to make an animated film, which would allow the elaborate sequences that Requa and Ficarra imagined to be captured. But Jeff Robinov, Warner's vice president, asked DeFaria if he knew of any other way to do it. The producer evaluated the situation and noted that it was time to take a different path. The special effects of that time had reached extraordinary levels. Not only could they take advantage of advances in digital technology: the manufacturing of animatronics and puppets was also evolving. Now everything was possible, including simple animals being able to talk and perform acrobatics like humans. The most immediate reference was Babe, the brave little pig: the combination of resources had been key to their success. Guterman supported DeFaria's idea from the beginning and managed to get the producers to hire Boone Narr, the most experienced animal trainer in Hollywood. His work and that of his team would be complemented by the effects. Despite the intentions of the director and producers, Warner executives had their doubts. To confirm if they would invest in the live action version, they asked to see a sample of how the mix of living beings and FX would look on the screen. Guterman accepted and selected a fragment capable of convincing the higher-ups. In the American summer of 1999 he prepared a clip he called Kung Fu Cat, with a cat doing martial arts. The idea was also to establish the tone that the film would have and the sense of fun that they planned to give it. It would have the tone of a cartoon, but without losing sight of the live action. Once finished, Kung Fu Cat disappointed the director: it seemed to him that it did not reach the quality he had hoped for and that would be key to the completion of the film. The months of meetings and dedication could go to waste. Still, he should have shown it to Warner. To their surprise, they were amazed by the clip and gave the green light to Like Dogs and Cats. With a budget of $60 million, Guterman dove headfirst into his first experience as a director. To make everything turn out the way he had in mind, he put together a technical and artistic team that could translate his vision. One of the key pieces was the Argentine director of photography Julio Macat, who had worked on Home Alone, a film with a dynamism and humor like the one Guterman was looking for. As for the cast, the director had no major problems putting together a combo of well-known and fresh faces. Jeff Goldblum signed on to play Charles Brody, father of the family that adopts Lou and a scientist who wants to eradicate dog allergies. To compose Caroline, his wife, Elizabeth Perkins was hired. In addition to her career in Hollywood, she was Macat's wife, which created a family atmosphere on the set. Scott, the son of the family, needed to be found. The chosen one was Alexander Pollock. Guterman and the producers also paid special attention to the casting of the animals' voices. Tobey Maguire took care of Lou, while the rest of the dogs had the vocal cords of Alec Baldwin and Susan Sarandon, among others. Regarding the cats, the director looked for actors who could make up intimidating, yet humorous, villains. He even came up with a motto: “Make it fun, but also daring.” One of the actors he contacted was Sean Hayes, then popular thanks to the sitcom Will & Grace. He was originally offered the role of Calico, the henchman of the evil Mr. Tinkles. As a favor, he also acted out several of the parts in a full script reading. When it was his turn to play Mr. Tinkles himself, he brought a tone that amused the director, the producers and everyone who was present. Nobody could stop laughing. That's how he earned that role. Hayes liked the character and knew where to draw inspiration from to develop it: at university, he and his classmates had a cat named Chloe, who had a very bad temper. Although he respected the script, during the recordings he had the freedom to improvise. But Guterman did not forget that the most challenging aspect of the production would involve the animals. Narr coordinated a large group of specialists to train the dogs and another to take care of the cats. Guterman and his team had to shoot first with the dogs, which were easier to train, and they were only able to handle the less complicated scenes. Only when the felines joined was it possible to execute the most difficult sequences. In the midst of working with humans and animals, the director also had to deal with the effects. He had references from each area, so he could feel calm. On set, the challenge was the puppets and animatronics. Handling the Mr. Tinkles doll required six people who had to hide when it was time to film. Already in post-production the use of CGI came into play. Before filming, each animal had to be scanned to record its sizes and features. The number of effects amounted to more than 800 and involved 200 professionals. In addition to the demands of each day, Guterman was still dealing with his hearing impairment. The commotion typical of any filming, plus the sounds of machines and barking, could threaten their performance. A theoretically unbearable and tortuous situation. But the director remained optimistic. He managed thanks to his hearing aids and to always remain focused. Nothing and no one stopped Guterman and his people from enjoying making Cats and Dogs. Both he and the scriptwriters and producers were satisfied with the work. They were excited to present it to the general public. But his illusions collided with Warner. After seeing a cut, executives felt that it was sometimes too strong for a film aimed at the whole family. One scene in particular bothered him, where Lou is pinned against a wall, and with knives, by Russian killer cat Dimitri Kennelkoff. Guterman understood the managers' approach; That image could confuse, even disturb, children. I was aware that a concept of that style would not be uncomfortable in an animated film, but it would be uncomfortable in a live action one. The director not only eliminated that scene; He also removed five double meaning jokes that only adults would understand. With the problems solved, Like Cats and Dogs hit theaters on July 4, 2001. Guterman was satisfied with the final result, although he knew that the scene was very competitive during that time of year. In addition, they were coming to market with an original product, which did not belong to any franchise nor was it inspired by another previously successful format. And to make matters worse, the first reviews were mixed. But the film won at the box office. Viewers enjoyed the story, characters and humor. His commercial journey gave profits of more than 200 million dollars. Due to its surprising performance, Like Dogs and Cats catapulted those responsible. John Requa and Glenn Ficarra wrote more scripts and managed to make the leap to directing: together they made comedies with big stars, such as I Love You Phillip Morris, Crazy Stupid Love and Focus. Lawrence Guterman directed one more film, but became known for creating Sonic Cloud, software to help the hearing-impaired. One of its investors was Sean Hayes. For their part, Chris DeFaria and Andrew Lazar produced larger films, directed by figures such as Steven Spielberg and Clint Eastwood. At the same time, Lazar remained connected to Cats and Dogs, as it produced two minor sequels: Cats and Dogs 2: The Revenge of Kitty Galore and Like Cats and Dogs 3. Notice how this whole story was born from a fun idea that someone decided to turn into a script. And if you are writing your own stories or have an idea that you want to transform into a film, a short film or a series, my film scriptwriting course is now available. In 13 hours of classes we focus on the format, the narrative, and the execution of a script to once and for all lose the fear of the blank page or rewriting. I developed this course for two years and in addition to explaining the theoretical part, it also includes practical experiences that I learned writing scripts for more than ten years: from short films with my friends to series for streaming platforms. 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