Based on an incredible true story. Over the course of 10 days and 435 miles, an unbreakable bond is forged between pro adventure racer Michael Light and a scrappy street dog companion dubbed Arthur. A film by Simon Cellan Jones, starring Mark Wahlberg, Simu Liu, Nathalie Emmanuel, Ali Suliman, Juliet Rylance, Bear Grylls, and Ukai.
ARTHUR THE KING
Simon Cellan Jones
(2024)
During the 2015 Adventure Racing World Championship in Costa Rica, an American adventure racer, Michael Light (Mark Wahlberg), makes a wrong decision. This results in his team members, Helen (Juliet Rylance), Leo Sun (Simu Liu), and John (Alani Ilongwe), getting stuck in the mud and being unable to finish the race. Leo, furious that Michael didn’t listen to the team’s opinions, takes a photo of Michael and posts it on his Instagram, blaming him for the team’s loss. The two haven’t spoken to each other since.
Three years later, Michael now lives with his wife Helen, and their young daughter Ruby (Cece Valentina), in High Springs, Colorado. Despite having a loving family, he dislikes working as a real estate agent for his father, Charlie (Paul Guilfoyle). Michael has raced for 19 years without winning any Adventure Racing World Championships. He doesn’t want to end his career and be remembered as a loser. Helen knows what Michael needs. She encourages him to make some calls, visit some potential sponsors, and get a sponsor to achieve his ultimate goal.
Michael reaches out to and recruits Chik (Ali Suliman), an old racer recovering from a knee injury, to be his navigator for the World Championships in the Dominican Republic. John and Michael set up a meeting with the Broadrail company requesting sponsorship. However, Broadrail doesn’t believe Michael will win, given his past record. Michael attempts to persuade them with his selected team members, including William “Chik” Chikerotis, a four-time world champion and a former member of Team Arc’teryx, and Olivia (Nathalie Emmanuel), the daughter of legendary climber Hugo Baker.
Directed by British filmmaker Simon Cellan Jones with a screenplay written by American writer Michael Brandt, based on Swedish former elite athlete Mikael Lindnord’s memoir “Arthur – The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home,” published in 2016, about a true story of one man and a dog who found each other during an adventure race in Ecuador.
Adventure Racing is a multidisciplinary team sport involving navigation over an unmarked wilderness course with races extending anywhere from two hours up to two weeks in length. The principal disciplines in adventure racing include trekking, mountain biking, and paddling although races can incorporate a multitude of other disciplines including climbing, abseiling, horse riding, skiing and white water rafting. Teams generally vary in gender mix and in size from two to five competitors. There is typically no suspension of the clock during races, irrespective of length; elapsed competition time runs concurrently with real-time, and competitors must choose if or when to rest.
ARTHUR THE KING throws us into the grueling yet exhilarating world of the Adventure Racing World Championship. We follow a team of elite athletes, led by the determined Michael Light, as they push themselves to the limit over a brurtal 10-day race in the Dominican Republic.
The film masterfully captures the physical and mental strain of this competition. Breathtaking cinematography showcases the beauty of the Dominican landscape, but also emphasizes the harsh reality of the terrain – treacherous mountains, dense jungles, and relentless weather. The team faces exhaustion, injuries, and moments of doubt, forcing them to rely on teamwork and sheer willpower to keep going.
However, the heart of “ARTHUR THE KING” lies not in the competition itself, but in the unexpected bond that forms between Michael and a stray dog he later named Arthur (played by Ukai). This scruffy canine companion isn’t part of the original plan, but Arthur’s unwavering loyalty and determination win over the hearts of both Michael and the audience.
Ukai was brought to the Humboldt County Animal Shelter in December 2019 when he was about 4 months old and living on the streets. Andre Hale, the animal control facilities manager for Humboldt County, said Ukai reminded them of Max from the Grinch — and, in fact, he was initially called Max by shelter workers. He’s got that stray dog look. Ukai is a mix of Australian shepherd, border collie and Bouvier des Flandres. He looks quite similar to the real-life Arthur, who died in 2020.
Ukai’s performance is truly endearing – his expressive eyes convey a range of emotions, perfectly embodies the loyalty and resilience of a dog, becoming an emotional anchor for the film.
Although the film is not without flaws, as it’s common for Hollywood films to make changes to the original characters or even the locations, in this case ARTHUR THE KING was filmed in the Dominican Republic instead of the mountains and jungles of Ecuador in South America.
Also in real life, the original team name is Peak Performance with a team entirely composed of Swedish athletes Staffan Björklund and Simon Niemi, and American athlete Karen Lundgren, led by Mikael Lindnord. While the film adaptation featured a team portrayed by British actress Nathalie Emmanuel, Canadian actor of Chinese descent Simu Liu, and Palestinian Israeli actor Ali Suliman.
ARTHUR THE KING was theatrically released in the United States on 15 March 2024.
