Mark Wahlberg's upcoming movie, Arthur the King, tells a remarkable story about an adventure racer and a dog he met along the way. Since the true story is a few years old, we're asking: is the dog alive in Arthur the King movie?
Here's what we know about Arthur, the dog, and Mikael Lindnord; along with how their friendship changed the world.
How Did Michael and Arthur Meet?
Arthur the King movie is based on a memoir written by Mikael Lindnord in 2016 entitled Arthur - The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home.
Lindnord is a professional adventure racer since 1997. When he found Arthur, Lindnord was the team captain for Team Peak Performance.
They were competing in the 2014 Adventure Racing World Championship in Ecuador as they were racing through the Amazon rainforest. During the race, Lindnord's team was hiking, biking, and kayaking through the 430-mile course.
Despite his injuries, a dog continued to follow Lindnord and his team throughout the race. It had acquired injuries before the race started.
He decided to feed the mongrel some meatballs, which led the dog to continue following the team even as they kayaked through the course. The dog swam beside the team and completed the 430-mile race with them.
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What Happened to the Dog in Arthur the King After the Race?
After the race, Lindnord and his team brought the dog to a vet for treatment. They also named him Arthur after the mythological character, King Arthur.
The team was also able to raise enough money to bring Arthur with them to Sweden. Because of how big the story had gotten, Arthur became a celebrity. There was even an ESPN documentary on how Arthur found Lindnord.
When Lindnord retired in 2015, he started writing several books about his experience as a racer and how he met Arthur.
After Lindnord adopted Arthur, an Ecuadorian man spoke to a newspaper and claimed he was the real owner of the dog. Vicente Quiñonez claimed the dog's real name was Barbuncho.
He claimed that Lindnord had kidnapped Barbuncho and asked for compensation so he could get another pet.
Unfortunately, animal activists started threatening Quiñonez for the injuries obtained by Arthur before Lindnord met him. Fearing his family's safety, Quiñonez backed down.
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Is the Dog Alive in Arthur the King Movie?
Lindnord put up The Arthur Foundation in 2014 to help give rights to wild dogs in Ecuador.
In 2015, Lindnord raced with Arthur in the Wings for Life World Run held in Kalmar, Sweden. They took part in the race to raise awareness of spinal cord injury.
Just six weeks before Lionsgate started filming Arthur the King, Lindnord announced that Arthur had passed away. He died on December 8, 2020, after veterinarians diagnosed him with a malignant tumor.
The movie, Arthur the King, is set to come out on Friday, March 15, 2024.
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