An athletic team involved in a treacherous endurance race finds themselves an unlikely guide in the incredible story of Arthur the King. Based on the novel Arthur the Dog Who Crossed The Jungle to Find a Home, Arthur the King tells the real-life tale of Mikael Lindnord, renamed in the movie Michael Light (Mark Wahlberg) when he and his team participated in the 2014 Adventure Racing World Championship in Ecuador. A routine race for the team became much more remarkable when Mikael encountered a stray dog who looked like he had been through quite a lot. After giving the dog a meatball, the dog begins to follow the group on their multi-mile adventure, forming an unbreakable bond with Mikael in the process.
To learn more about this heartwarming true story, and its cast, trailer, release date, and more, here is everything we know so far about Arthur the King.
An adventure racer adopts a stray dog named Arthur to join him in an epic endurance race.
Release Date March 15, 2024 Director Simon Cellan Jones Cast Mark Wahlberg , Nathalie Emmanuel , Simu Liu , Michael Landes Main Genre Adventure Writers Michael Brandt , Mikael LindnordA remarkable journey for Michael, Arthur, and the rest of the endurance team officially begins when Arthur the King races into theaters on Friday, March 15, 2024.
The only way to see Michael and Arthur's journey is to see it on the big screen, as Arthur the King will be released exclusively in theaters on March 15. No word yet on if and when the film will be released on streaming, but Arthur the King's distributor, Lionsgate, has a history of collaborating with Starz for streaming distribution. Lionsgate films such as Saw X and Expend4bles are set to make their streaming debut on Starz in the coming weeks, after releasing in September. So it might be a while before we see Arthur the King on the streaming service.
Lionsgate dropped the first trailer for Arthur the King on November 15, officially introducing an all-new audience to a tale so surprising that it has to be true. Michael and the dog soon-to-be-known as Arthur are appropriately the focus, with Michael being an aging athlete and Arthur being an elderly stray. The two protagonists cross paths when Michael gives Arthur a meatball - an act of kindness that the stray dog isn't used to. Arthur decides to follow Michael and his group on their treacherous endurance journey, but he's a much more active participant than the athletes were expecting, as Arthur warns them of a deadly cliff that they nearly walk into. Thus, Arthur becomes an eager and willing member of the team, and their journey goes viral online as Arthur becomes an internet celebrity. Arthur and Michael's bond is unlike any other, but it starts to look like Arthur's age and years without a home may be taking a toll on the good-hearted canine.
Two-time Academy Award nominee Mark Wahlberg leads the cast of Arthur the King. Starring in dramatic true stories has become something of a niche for Wahlberg's filmography, such as the boxing drama The Fighter, the military action epic Lone Survivor, and the Boston Bombing thriller Patriots Day. That's only scratching the surface of Wahlberg's impressive career, which also includes Boogie Nights, The Departed, and the Ted films.
In addition to the adorable dog playing Arthur, Wahlberg has an impressive supporting cast joining him for Arthur the King. This starts with Michael's teammates, who will be portrayed by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu and Game of Thrones alum Nathalie Emmanuel. The cast also includes Sinister star Juliet Rylance, L.A. Confidential star Paul Guilfoyle, and Mark Wahlberg's previous Lone Survivor co-star, Ali Suliman. Finally, Arthur the King also features a special appearance from legendary outdoorsman Bear Grylls, who plays himself in the movie.
The official plot synopsis for Arthur the King reads as follows:
"Over the course of ten days and 435 miles, an unbreakable bond is forged between pro adventure racer Michael Light (Mark Wahlberg) and a scrappy street dog companion dubbed Arthur. Based on an incredible true story, ARTHUR THE KING follows Light, desperate for one last chance to win, as he convinces a sponsor to back him and a team of athletes (Simu Liu, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Ali Suliman) for the Adventure Racing World Championship in the Dominican Republic. As the team is pushed to their outer limits of endurance in the race, Arthur redefines what victory, loyalty and friendship truly mean."
Directing Arthur the King is Simon Cellan Jones, who has spent his recent career as an accomplished television director who has worked on Ballers, Jessica Jones, and even the television adaptation of the Mark Wahlberg-led action film Shooter. In addition to being based on Mikael Lindnord's book, Arthur the King also features a screenplay penned by 3:10 to Yuma screenwriter Michael Brandt. Lindnord and Brandt are also both credited as executive producers, along with Den of Thieves producer Dorothy Canton. Jones previously worked with Wahlberg on the 2023 action-comedy The Family Plan.
The rest of the crew for Arthur the King also consists of composer Kevin Matley (Concrete Cowboy), cinematographer Jacques Jouffret (Gran Turismo), editor Gary Roach (Wind River), production designer Mailara Santana (Plane), and costume designer Carol Ramsey (The Other Guys).
The Fighter (2010): Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale) was once an accomplished boxer, even going toe to toe with Sugar Ray Leonard. That all changed when Dicky fell into debilitating drug addiction, leaving a promising career behind. When his little brother, Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), decides to progress his own boxing career, this may give Dicky the opportunity to fix his life. The Fighter is currently available to stream on Paramount+.
Lone Survivor (2013): A member of a squad of Navy SEALs stationed in Afghanistan, Marcus Luttrell (Mark Wahlberg) found himself fighting for survival in a deadly warzone. When their team encounters an innocent child while patrolling the mountains, Luttrell insists on letting the civilian go instead of terminating him. This may have morally been the right thing to do, but the consequences resulted in Luttrell and his squad being hunted by the Taliban. Lone Survivor is currently available to rent on Prime Video.
Patriots Day (2016): Tragedy struck the nation when a deadly bombing occurred during the 2013 Boston Marathon. The terrorist attack left several dead and even more injured, leaving the city of Boston understandably terrified of potential follow-up attacks. Patriots Day explores just how Boston banded together to find those responsible and bring them to justice. Patriots Day is currently available to stream on Hulu.
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