Summary

• Arthur the King's ending in the movie is based on a true story, but the real Arthur's life didn't end there.
• In reality, Arthur moved to Sweden with Mikael's family and continued racing, even raising awareness for charity.
• Sadly, Arthur passed away in 2020 after battling cancer, leaving a lasting impact on Mikael and his family.

Arthur the King tells a remarkable true story, and here is what happened to the dog, Arthur, after the movie's events. The 2024 film stars Mark Wahlberg as adventure racer Michael Smith and chronicles his journey racing through the Dominican Republic. His life and the race take an unexpected turn after he feeds a stray dog some meatballs, leading to the canine following the team through all types of terrain across hundreds of miles. This is exactly the same as Arthur the King's true story and what happened to the dog in real life.

However, Arthur the King's ending wraps up Arthur and Michael's story without telling the full scope of their lives after participating in the Adventure Racing World Championship. The film's conclusion shows Arthur alive and well living in Colorado with Michael and his family after safely traveling to America. But no additional information is given about Arthur's life beyond this point and what the dog is up to now. Arthur the King's credits show real photos of Arthur's life after the movie's events, but there is more to the dog's story than what the pictures show.

Arthur Moved To Sweden To Live With Mikael's Family

In real life, Arthur moved to Sweden to live with Mikael Lindnord and his family following their encounter during the Adventure Racing World Championship. This came after Mikael helped Arthur get the treatment he needed. Arthur the King changes the true story in some regards by making Mikael an American who lives in Colorado, but it does accurately show that the dog becomes part of the racer's family.

Arthur is played by a dog named Ukai in Arthur the King

While the movie takes place in 2018, Mikael and Arthur actually met in real life in 2014. Arthur then moved to Sweden the same year and became an integral part of the Lindnord family. This only happened after getting approval from the Swedish Board of Agriculture. Arthur also underwent additional surgery in early 2015. As shown in the Arthur the King credits, he often participated in many outdoor activities with Mikael and his family in Sweden. It also meant that Arthur got to meet both of Mikael's children and be part of their lives.

Arthur Continued To Race After Being Adopted

Mikael and Arthur's racing career began in the 2014 Adventure Racing World Championship, but that is not where it ended in real life. Arthur the King last shows Michael and Arthur running together in the mountains of Colorado 18 months after the race's conclusion. In reality, Mikael and Arthur had already participated in another race by this time. The man and dog raced together in the Wings For Life World Run event held in Kalmar, Sweden in May 2015, just six months removed from their first race together.

Mikael and Arthur ran 18 kilometers during the Wings For Life World Run and did so in an effort to raise awareness for the non-for-profit charity (via The Local se). Wings For Life's mission is to find a cure for spinal cord injuries and paraplegia. The decision to participate in the Wings For Life World Run led to launching the Arthur Foundation in 2017. The Arthur Foundation was founded to help dogs around the world receive better care. This included supporting the LOBA law in Ecuador (Organic Law of Animal Welfare – Ley Organica de Bienestar Animal), which went into effect in April 2018.

Arthur Died In 2020 After Battling Cancer

Arthur the King gives audiences a happy ending with Michael and Arthur living together a short time after meeting. This is what happened in real life too, as Arthur lived with Mikael's family in Sweden for roughly six years. Unfortunately, Arthur the dog died in December 2020 after being diagnosed with a malignant tumor. Mikael announced the sad news on Instagram, celebrating the life of Arthur by saying, "We had 6 fantastic years together. We have been lucky that we have a home office and spend all those years together, basically every day."

It is estimated that Arthur was between 11 and 13 years old when he died. Due to his uncertain past before being adopted by Mikael, the Ecuadorian and Swedish Veterinarian said that Arthur was approximately 5 to 7 years old when he came to Sweden in November 2014. With the dog living until December 2020, six full years passed since that point. Mikael Lindnord has not adopted another dog since Arthur's passing. Furthermore, Arthur's death occurred just weeks before Arthur the King began filming.

Sources: The Local se, Arthur Foundation