The Big Picture

• Mark Wahlberg stars in the inspirational biopic Arthur the King, based on Mikael Lindnord's true adventure with a stray dog named Arthur.
• Lindnord's trek during an intense race showcases the bond between him, his teammates, and the resilient Arthur, who became a social media star.
• Despite facing obstacles, Arthur's story continues through Mikael's foundation supporting animal welfare and rehabilitating wild animals globally.

Mark Wahlberg is one of the most continuously fascinating movie stars of his generation, as he seems to constantly be interested in reinventing the types of films he stars in. While he got his start in gritty dramas like Three Kings and Boogie Nights, Wahlberg has taken a greater interest in playing inspirational historical figures in recent years with films like Deepwater Horizon and Father Stu. Although these biopics still seem geared at the older viewers that may have already been interested in his earlier work, Wahlberg has also taken an interest in appealing to more family-friendly audiences with dramedies like Me Time and Instant Family. Wahlberg’s latest star turn seems to be a synthesis of these two goals, as it's both an inspirational biopic and a family-friendly adventure. Arthur the King tells the true story of Mikael Lindnord’s adventure-racing trek across the Dominican Republic.

Who Is Mikael Lindnord?

Arthur the King is directed by Simon Cellan Jones, who previously helmed Wahlberg’s family spy comedy The Family Plan. The film is based on Lindford’s 2016 memoir Arthur - The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home, which recounts his trek across Ecuador during a 435 mile adventure race. While Lindford had been participating in adventure racing competitions since 1997, the Adventure World Racing Competition held in the Amazon rainforest was one of the most difficult in history. The race required its participants to hike, bike, kayak, and even zipline through a series of dangerous obstacles; unlike other competition sports, adventure racing required intensive stamina, forcing teams to map out their trek ahead of time in order to conserve energy.

Arthur the King changes the name of Wahlberg’s character to Michael Light, and fleshes out details about his relationship with his teammates Leo (Simu Liu), Olivia (Nathalie Emmanuel), and Chik (Ali Suliman). There are fictionalized elements surrounding Michael’s motivation for entering the expedition, suggesting that social media backlash to his performance in a previous race inspired him to take on the ambitious jungle adventure; the film also changes the location of the race to the Dominican Republic, which elicited some backlash from Ecuadorians. While these dramatic liberties were made in service of making a more exciting story, Arthur the King remains true to the spirit of Mikael’s experience by showcasing the relationship between his team and a stray dog that they met during the middle of the race.

After their mission was off to a shaky start due to a series of illnesses and the rigor of performing in such a combative climate, Mikael and his team discovered a stray dog that they nicknamed “Arthur,” based on the figure from medieval literature. Concerned that Arthur had been abused by a previous owner, Mikael began to offer the stray dog meatballs that his family had packed him, hoping to keep him alive. Despite the burden of looking after a stray animal, Mikael’s team decided to bring Arthur along with them throughout the rest of the race. In addition to providing emotional support, Arthur’s strong navigational skills helped the team map out their routes when faced with unforeseen weather conditions.

The Real Arthur Completed the Adventure World Racing Competition

Over the course of Mikael’s adventure, Arthur became a social media icon whose story was circulated by major media outlets. Candid photos of Arthur that Mikael had taken to send to his family were shared on social media, turning the stray into a minor internet celebrity, generating more interest in the racing competition. While the story of a friendly dog finding a new family seems perfectly designed to go viral, Arthur’s resilience throughout the trip was remarkable. It was evident based on his refusal to leave Mikael’s side that the dog had developed a close bond with his new companion, and was willing to push his body to its physical limits to remain part of the team.

Although they had not intended to keep the dog with them throughout the entire competition, Miakel’s team put a potential first place victory in jeopardy in order to ensure that Arthur completed the race. One of the most difficult stretches of the race involved a grueling 36 miles of kayaking that race organizers warned would be too dangerous for Arthur to participate in. After attempting to leave Arthur on the shore, Mikael’s team noticed the dog attempting to follow them by paddling in the water. This prompted the team to place Arthur on the kayak and carry him throughout the final leg of the race. While this decision ate up time, leading Mikael’s team to finish in 12th place, their story wouldn’t have been as inspirational had they chosen to leave their furry companion behind.

What Happened to Arthur?

Following the completion of the race, Mikael intended to bring Arthur home to Sweden in order to adopt him. This proved to be more difficult than expected, as Arthur’s body had been infected with parasites that made traveling more difficult. Although there was concern about whether he would be able to safely travel given his health struggles, Arthur was safely taken home by Mikael’s family and given proper treatment. His return was met with a crowd of reporters, as the story had clearly spoken to pet owners everywhere. Further investigations by Ecuadorian reporters revealed that Arthur had once been named “Barbuncho,” Mikael alleged that his previous owner had been complicit in the stray’s abuse. He claimed that he couldn’t “believe how anyone can claim he was someone's dog when he was so badly treated."

Arthur later joined Mikael when he participated in the Wings for Life World Run in Kalmar, a competition organized to support victims of spinal cord injury. Mikael started “The Arthur Foundation” in 2015, a charity in support of rehabilitating wild animals and supporting animal welfare rights globally. After a battle with a malignant tumor, Mikael announced on social media that Arthur had died in 2020. Nonetheless, Arthur lives on in the form of the charity named after him and the inspirational story that touched so many lives.

Arthur the King is in theaters now.

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