His Lonely Dog, originally based on paintings set in the fantasy world of Alveridgea, is already New Zealand’s best-selling art brand.
Now, it is being turned by a global partnership into an immersive cinematic event in which, thanks to 360deg projection and 2-D and 3-D CGI animation, Mr Clarke’s human-like dogs and cats will come alive.
"It’s 21st-century entertainment," Mr Clarke said.
He was further captivated after reading the Lonely Dog novel, but then learnt a New York party managed the rights on behalf of Clarke.
A year later, after re-reading the novel, he called the artist’s Queenstown gallery, found he was on a mountain, then got through to him and eventually did a deal.
At the time, Mr Dew was working on an immersive experience, with Italian partners, based on Renaissance art from the Uffizi collection in Italy.
"I woke up in the middle of the night thinking, ‘Why don’t we do something like that for Lonely Dog?"’
Once he got Mr Clarke to understand and agree to the concept, Mr Dew obtained an investor, then started working on the project.
He has a team of 65 based in the US, at Art Centrica in Italy, where the paintings are animated, and at Exodo Animation Studios in Mexico, where the Lonely Dog characters morph into lifelike animated characters.
US music director Geoff Pearlman was also composing songs for the project from lyrics in the novel, plus a musical score, and finding voices for the characters.
Mr Dew said the 35- to 40-minute production would be launched in a US venue in the first or second quarter of next year, and travel alongside the Renaissance production.
"Instead of just passively sitting in a cinema, you’ll be able to walk around and feel you’re part of the story."
It would be like stepping into the paintings, he explained.
Mr Dew had no doubt it would be a hit — "it’s the richness of the stories and the characters, it’s unlike all the other immersive experiences out there".
Mr Clarke, the project’s art director, has only seen one art immersive in person — the Van Gogh Alive show touring New Zealand — but has seen others on YouTube.
"When I was originally approached, I’d never heard of an art immersive and it sounded gimmicky, but with what I’ve already seen I’m blown away."
Meanwhile, Mr Clarke confirmed Warner Bros originally acquired the movie rights, and in turn chose Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man) to produce it and write the script.
However, Mr Goldsman’s wife died in 2010 and the project lapsed.
